


Out of Trouble

by AshKnight



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F, Implied/Referenced Domestic Violence, Kara's daughter is a brat, Meet-Cute, SuperCorp, Teacher!Lena Luthor, angst/violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-27
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:07:39
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 36
Words: 78,563
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24943606
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AshKnight/pseuds/AshKnight
Summary: Kara Danvers is a full-time mom who also happens to have a secret identity.  Her ten-year-old daughter is a major handful for her teacher, Miss Lena Luthor, so Kara has to go to the school for a parent-teacher conference and becomes completely enamored with Lena when she finds out just how much the teacher adores her daughter (and how stunning she is).  Supercorp!
Relationships: Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor
Comments: 1165
Kudos: 1517





	1. Chapter 1

"I can't believe this," Kara huffed in exasperation, throwing her hands up. "All you had to do was _stay out of trouble._ "

"I was just having fun!" the young girl cried, stomping her right foot on the hardwood floor.

"Well, it wasn't very fun for your teacher, now, was it?"

"But it was funny to me!"

"Alura Danvers!" the hero chided her. "Go to your room, and I don't want to hear a single peep from you this evening. I'll bring you your dinner, and you can eat it alone, in silence."

"But _Mom_ —"

"Bedroom. _Now,_ Alura."

"You're horrible!" the girl screamed.

"You're ten, and you already think your mother is horrible?" Kara sighed, pushing a hand through her hair.

"You never let me have any fun!"

"You used your powers to put _shaving cream_ on your teacher's chair while she wasn't looking!"

"And it was hilarious!"

"Can't you see how that was a horrible thing to do? I'm sure it embarrassed her."

"But you should've _seen_ her _face_ when it got on her ass!" the hero's daughter protested, a laugh bubbling up in her throat.

"ALURA!" Kara shouted, finally losing her cool. "It's not funny! And _watch your mouth_ or I'll ground you for a week instead of just tonight!"

"You never let me do anything!" Alura pouted, stomping her foot again.

"You could've been caught! If they find out you have powers—"

"But they _didn't_ catch me! And _you_ use _your_ powers! So, why can't I? Why do I have to be normal?"

Kara could feel tears welling in her eyes, but the idea of them falling in front of her daughter was too repulsive for her to allow, so she let out a frustrated sigh and simply said, in a low, serious tone, "Go to your room, Alura. Not a sound. Not. A. Sound. And don't forget, we have to be up early tomorrow to meet with your teacher before school."

Releasing an exaggerated huff, Alura stomped up the stairs to her bedroom and slammed the door shut behind her.

~!~!~

The next day, Kara's daughter nearly refused to get out of bed.

"I'm not going," she'd announced, pulling the covers up over her head.

"Get up. Now, Alura. I'm not playing around. You're going to march into that school and apologize to your teacher, or you won't see your friends for a week. Is that clear?"

"Come _on,_ " the ten-year-old whined. "This isn't fair."

"How in Rao's name is this not fair?!" Kara cried. "You literally put shaving cream on your teacher's chair in the middle of class!"

"No one saw me!"

"Then how in the world did she know it was you?"

Alura bit her lip and sat up in bed, mumbling, "I laughed the loudest."

Kara sighed, rubbing her temples, and said, "Get up. Get dressed. Eat your breakfast. And then we're leaving. And you _will_ apologize."

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever," the girl huffed, swinging her legs out from under the covers.

"Forty minutes," the hero told her. "You have forty minutes to be ready and in the car."

With that, Kara turned and left the room.

~!~!~

"Be nice," Kara warned her daughter, upon arriving at the school. When Alura rolled her eyes, she said, "I mean it."

Alura got out of the car and slammed the door without another word.

Kara followed slowly as her daughter stomped her way into the school and down the hall to her classroom. She felt like a dead woman walking. How embarrassing that her daughter was so incredibly misbehaved. Of course, Kara had done her best, but being a single parent was, of course, incredibly difficult. She felt as though she'd lost control and failed her daughter by allowing things to turn out this way.

With a heavy sigh of resignation to her fate – being extraordinarily embarrassed in front of her daughter's teacher – she reached for the door handle to the classroom as Alura stood beside her. Before she could grab it, though, her daughter pushed the door open and nearly ran inside.

Following closely, Kara entered the classroom and shut the door quietly behind her.

"Welcome, Miss Danvers," the teacher greeted her with a warm smile, causing Kara to look up.

As soon as she saw locked eyes with the teacher, Kara felt her insides melt.

 _Holy shit,_ she thought. _She's fucking_ _ **gorgeous**_ _._

Heat rose to Kara's cheeks as she fumbled for words.

"T-Thank you," she finally stammered. "I'm sorry we're just meeting on these terms… and I truly wish to apologize for Alura's—"

"It's quite alright, Miss Danvers," the teacher interrupted. "I didn't ask you here to scold you, or to get Alura in more trouble."

"Hey, Miss Luthor," Alura blurted out, interrupting the adults' conversation without hesitation. "Since I'm not in trouble, can I have a piece of candy?"

Knowing full well that Miss Luthor always kept candy in her desk drawer for students who performed well in class, Alura had no reservations asking for some, interpreting the teacher's words as her getting off the hook for her behavior.

"Alura!" Kara cried, appalled by her daughter's presumptuous request. "You are _not_ out of trouble!"

"Alura," Miss Luthor said softly. "If you can sit quietly while I talk to your mother, you can have a piece before you leave. How does that sound?"

Biting her lip as she considered the challenge ahead, Alura nodded slowly and sat down in a chair beside her mother.

"Good girl," the teacher praised her. "I know you can do it."

Eyes widened slightly in surprise at the incredibly adept way Miss Luthor was handling her handful of a daughter, Kara's lips parted slightly to speak, but no sound came out.

"Miss Danvers…" the teacher started slowly. "Is everything alright at home?"

"What?" the hero asked dumbly, staring in confusion.

"Alura is a very smart, talented, sweet girl, Miss Danvers," Miss Luthor told her. "And this behavior is relatively new for her. So I have to ask – and not at all to pry – if everything is alright at home, or if something is going on that may be causing this change in behavior."

"I… I know she is," Kara sighed. "I don't know what's going on with her, honestly. The… The only thing I can think of is just… I think she's been having a hard time, not having a father figure in her life. It's been very difficult being a single mother, and I think it's been hard on her too."

With a nod of understanding, Miss Luthor replied, "I can only imagine it would be incredibly difficult, Miss Danvers. I admire you a great deal. You have raised a truly incredible girl. Would it be okay if I asked Alura some questions with you here?"

"W-Wow… um… thank you, Miss Luthor. That's… That's very sweet of you to say. And yes. Yes, of course."

Smiling warmly, the teacher turned to Alura and asked, "Alura… Will you tell me what's been bothering you?"

Squirming in her seat and shooting her mother a sideways glance, Alura shook her head.

"It's alright, sweetie," Kara assured her. "You can tell Miss Luthor anything you want."

"Yeah, but… but you'll—"

"No, sweetheart. You won't get in trouble for being honest, okay?"

"Mom expects so much of me," the student sighed, hanging her head in her hands. "I just want to be me. And she never listens to me. And I'm… Mom's… Mom's right. It's been hard without a dad, when she's always mad at me. I have no one to talk to."

Eyes welling with tears, Kara had to bite her lip to keep herself from crying. Did Alura really feel like she didn't listen to her?

"What can we do to make you feel more comfortable, Alura?"

Pausing thoughtfully as her mother waited anxiously with bated breath, Alura took a moment before answering, "You could go on a date with my mom!"

"ALURA!" Kara gasped, gawking at her daughter in disbelief.

Even Miss Luthor looked surprised as she opened her mouth to speak but found herself unsure of what to say.

"What?" Alura whined, turning to her mother. "She asked!"

"That was incredibly inappropriate, Alura! I can't believe you'd even—"

"No harm done, Miss Danvers," Miss Luthor assured her. Then, turning back to her student, she said, "I don't think the answer to how you feel is to send your mother on a date with me, Alura. I hear you saying that you want is for your mom to have a partner, and someone you can both talk to, but I think your mother probably needs to make that decision for herself. Okay, sweetie?"

Scowling and crossing her arms, Alura turned to her mother and seethed, "You never do anything for me!"

"Alura—" the teacher tried, but Alura was out of her seat and storming out of the classroom before either she or Kara could stop her.

Hanging her head in her hands, Kara sighed, "I really fucked up with her. She's a great girl, but she's miserable, and it's all because of me."

"Miss Danvers," Miss Luthor started gently. "Alura is struggling, but that's no reflection on you. I think she's just confused about having one parent. Lots of kids – and parents – go through this. It's honestly just a natural part of her development. Please, don't think this has anything to do with your parenting skills."

Again, Kara bit her lip and mumbled, "Thank you, Miss Luthor."

"Please, call me Lena, Miss Danvers."

"Well, if I can call you Lena… You can call me Kara."

"Alright. Kara it is," Lena announced in agreement.

The warmth of the teacher's smile lit up the room and made the hero's stomach flip.

 _Rao,_ Kara was thinking, as a blush rose to her cheeks. _I wish I_ _ **could**_ _ask her on a date._

"Are you alright?" Lena asked gently, noticing the redness in Kara's cheeks. "You look a bit warm."

"Huh? Oh! No, I'm fine. I'm… I'm great. Thank you for being so wonderful with my daughter, Mi—Lena."

Again, Lena smiled, and again, Kara melted, stunned by the teacher's radiance and beauty.

"What can I do for you, though? I'm sure you're incredibly stressed right now, and if there's anything I can do to help _you,_ I'd love to do it."

"Oh, gosh. You… You really don't need to do anything for me. You've done so much for Alura already. I couldn't ask anything more of you."

"Alright… Well… If you change your mind, Kara… let me know."

If Kara hadn't known better, she would have thought the tone in the teacher's voice was flirtatious.

But she did know better, and as such, she said, "My daughter still owes you an apology. I'll go get her. Just a moment?"

"It's really alri—" Lena tried, but Kara was already rushing out of the room.

"Alura," the hero announced, looking down the hallway at her daughter who was sitting on the floor against the wall a few classrooms down. "Come apologize, and we'll go home, okay?" When Alura didn't look up, Kara tried, "Please?"

Slowly, her daughter stood up and walked past her, back into Miss Luthor's classroom.

"I'm sorry, Miss Luthor," Alura sighed. "It was a stupid thing to do. I was just trying to make everyone laugh so they would like me."

Both Lena and Kara's eyes went wide. This was one step further of an admission than either had expected.

"Sweetheart… Do you think people don't like you?" Kara asked with concern in her voice.

Alura looked down and away from her mother and her teacher, digging her foot into the linoleum floor.

"Alura," Lena addressed her. "The kids in your class think you're great. You don't have to act out to make them think that."

"No one likes me," the girl countered, tone suddenly full of anger. "They called me a teacher's pet."

"Is _that_ why you started failing your exams?!" Kara gaped. "Are you serious? Alura! You—"

"Miss Danvers," the teacher addressed her gently. "I think what Alura might be saying is that all she wants right now is to be in someone's good favor. She feels she's in trouble with us, so if she has favor with her friends… that will be okay. Then she'll get the attention she needs. Is that right, Alura? Are you feeling lonely?"

Bursting into tears, Alura nodded her head rapidly and covered her face with her hands.

"Oh, honey…" Kara said softly, placing her hand on the girl's arm. "I'm sorry, baby girl. But you know I love you, don't you? I'll always be here for you."

"You never listen!" Alura screamed, standing and shoving the desk over with surprising force, making Lena raise an eyebrow and Kara's eyes go wide in shock.

"Alura—" Kara tried, reaching out for her daughter, but Alura had other ideas.

Instead of responding to Kara's efforts to connect with her, she ran out of the classroom.

"You sure it's not me?" Kara sighed, looking up at Lena.

The teacher nodded and smiled good-naturedly.

"I'm quite sure, Kara. She'll come around. Just… be gentle and patient, okay? What she's going through… it's normal. She will be okay. Just stick with her through this."

"She's not even a teenager yet!"

"She hasn't had a 'normal' upbringing, Kara. She's not going to develop the exact same way as some of her peers. But for her situation, based on everything you've told me today, she's honestly doing just fine. She's just going through a rough patch."

 _If only you knew,_ Kara was thinking, filled with thoughts of her super powers, and the ones she'd passed down to her daughter.

"I should go hunt her down," Kara sighed, rubbing her temples again. "Thank you so much, Lena. You've been great."

Smiling, Lena told her, "It's truly my pleasure, Kara. I… try not to have favorites… but… if I did… your daughter would certainly be it."

"Really?"

"Mhmm. She's quite brilliant. That's why I asked you to come here today. I was just worried about her. But now that I know she has a wonderful, supportive, caring mom… I know I have nothing to worry about. We'll both just keep a close eye on her. Sound good?"

Kara nodded and replied, "Yes. Thank you, Lena. Truly. Hopefully she can behave from here on out and I won't see you again until parent-teacher conferences."

Lena nodded and told Kara, "Whatever happens, I'll be right here to support her. And you. In anything either of you need."

"You'd better get the teacher of the year award, or I'm starting a riot," Kara chuckled. "Thank you, Lena. I can't say that enough."

"You really can, and you have," Lena laughed. "It's perfectly alright, and very much my pleasure."

With a smile and a wave, Kara left to find her daughter.

~!~!~

"So, did you get a date?" Alura asked boldly, upon buckling her seatbelt in the car.

"What?!" Kara gaped. "Alura! Of course I didn't!"

"Why _not?_ " the girl whined, slamming her hand down on the ledge of the car door. "She's pretty enough, isn't she?"

"She certainly is," her mother sighed, completely forgetting to filter her thoughts before speaking.

"SEE!" Alura cried. "You think she's pretty!"

"Alura, please," Kara huffed. "I'm exhausted. Don't press the issue, okay? Yes, she's pretty, but she's your teacher, and that's completely inappropriate."

"Why?"

"What do you mean 'why?'"

"Why is it inappropriate?"

"Enough, Alura. I'm not going to date your teacher."

"Well, you should," Alura huffed angrily, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Alura—"

"Alright! I'll drop it!"

"Good."


	2. Chapter 2

Things were quiet over the next two weeks. Alura even passed her next math test.

But the two weeks went by quickly, and just as Kara was starting to get some relief, she got a phone call from her daughter's teacher in the middle of the day.

"Hello?" Kara asked into the receiver, easily recognizing the phone number.

"Hello, Miss Danvers… I'm afraid Alura is going to need to be picked up as soon as possible," Miss Luthor explained. "She got into a fight and has a pretty severe nosebleed."

"What?!" Kara gaped. "Seriously?!"

"Afraid so."

"How's… How's the other kid?"

" _Kids_ ," Lena sighed. "And they have sustained injuries that are equally as troubling."

"Oh, fuck," the girl's mother breathed. Then, realizing she'd just swore at her daughter's teacher, she corrected herself, quickly saying, "Sorry!"

"It's quite alright, Kara. I understand. And I'm sorry we had to speak again under these circumstances."

With another heavy sigh, Kara told her, "I'll be there in ten minutes. I'll leave the office now."

"Thank you, Kara."

"See you soon."

~!~!~

Upon setting foot in the principal's office, Kara's heart sank, seeing her daughter holding a wad of tissues up to her nose.

"Alura," she sighed. "What _happened?_ "

"They were picking on me!" Alura shouted.

"Lower your voice," Kara said coolly. Then, kneeling down in front of her daughter, she offered, "Just take a breath and tell mum what happened."

Starting to cry, Alura shared, "They called me a teacher's pet again and shoved me. So I hit them, and they ganged up on me."

"They shoved you first?"

Alura nodded.

"Is that true, Alura? Tell the truth."

Again, Alura nodded.

"Alright," her mother said, rising to her feet and turning to the principal. "So what's happening to the other two kids?"

"Three."

" _Three_ kids ganged up on her?"

Alura's teacher, who was sitting quietly one chair away from her student, finally spoke up and said, "She certainly held her own. It took two teachers to pull her off of them."

"Oh, God. _Alura,_ " Kara moaned. "Why can't you just _stay out of trouble_?"

"THEY STARTED IT!"

"Easy, sweetheart," Lena said softly, touching the girl's hand, which was clenched into a tight fist. "We know. But you should've come to get me. I would have handled it."

"Then they would have made fun of me more! I don't need a teacher to rescue me! I can take care of myself!" Alura cried.

"Hey," Kara said softly. "You don't need to hold your own. You're ten. It's not your responsibility to put people in their place. Do you understand?"

"They _started it!"_

"I know, baby girl. I know. But there are better ways to handle things than resorting to violence."

"That's funny, coming from you."

"Alura," Kara warned, knowing that her daughter was referring to her other occupation as a superhero (which, of course, no one knew anything about).

Looking at the two of them quizzically, Lena said softly, "Your mum is right, Alura. I'm here for you, okay? You don't have to go beating up kids in your class when they call you a teacher's pet."

"But he shoved me!"

"I know, sweetie. I know. Which they will all face the consequences for. I promise. But now, because you acted with violence, you're going to have consequences too. Do you understand?"

Alura huffed but nodded her head in understanding.

"So, what are we doing?" Kara asked Lena and the principal.

"I'm afraid we'll have to suspend her for two days," the principal announced sadly. "She really is a good kid, Miss Danvers. She's just…"

"I know," Kara sighed. "I know she is. But regardless of that, she has to face the consequences of her actions. I'll take her home now. Thank you both, and I do apologize for her—"

"Miss Danvers," Lena cut in. "Please, don't apologize. But… I was thinking…"

"Yes?"

"Maybe Alura could benefit from counseling?"

Kara thought this through quickly. Lena had her daughter's best interest in mind, without a doubt. It wasn't meant as an insult. She was trying to help.

"Alura?" the hero asked softly, turning to her daughter. "What do you think?"

"About what?"

"Do you want to talk with someone about how you're feeling?"

Biting her lip, Alura dropped her gaze.

"It's perfectly okay, Alura," Lena told her. "Lots of people find it helpful to get a second set of eyes on their struggles. And sometimes it just feels good to talk to someone who isn't your mum or your teacher."

"But I don't want people to think I'm crazy."

"You're not crazy, baby," her mother assured her. "You're just going through some really hard stuff right now, and it's okay to talk about it."

Looking for reassurance, Alura turned to her teacher with pleading eyes and waited.

"It's really okay," Lena promised. "Why don't you just try talking to the school counselor when you get back and see if you like it?"

Alura nodded slowly and mumbled, "Okay."

Then, rising from her seat, Lena turned to Kara and asked, "Miss Danvers, could I speak to you alone for just a minute?"

Kara nodded, swallowing hard in anticipation for what was to come, and stepped outside the office with the teacher.

"Kara," Lena said softly. "I don't mean to overstep, but I can see just how much you're struggling too, and I hate to see you so stressed. Please, don't take any offense, but… if _you_ need to talk to someone… I know a great therapist with an office right by CatCo who I'm sure would take a new client."

Kara felt her heart racing and her face flushing with embarrassment. She hated to admit it, but she felt the same way as her daughter. Especially if her daughter's teacher could see how much she was struggling. It made her feel weak.

"I don't know… I…"

"I'll say the same thing to you that I said to your daughter, Kara. It's really okay. What you're going through as a single parent is extremely difficult. Please, just consider not doing it alone."

With a nod, Kara took the business card that was handed to her and said, "Thank you, Lena."

When Lena offered her a warm smile in return, Kara felt herself rapidly melting.

By the time Kara returned to the office, Alura's nose had stopped bleeding.

"Come on, sweetie. Let's get you home and cleaned up," Kara said, almost in a whisper.

Alura stood up and followed her mother out of the school without a word.

~!~!~

Back at the house, Kara sat down on the couch and watched as her daughter walked past her towards the bathroom. When Alura returned from cleaning up, Kara beckoned her over, and to her surprise, Alura obeyed.

"Come sit with me, baby girl," Kara offered. "Please."

With a heavy sigh, Alura sat down on the opposite end of the couch.

"Come here, goober," Kara chuckled. "You might be ten now, but you're still my baby girl. Come cuddle mommy."

Shocking Kara further, Alura threw herself at her mother, wrapping her arms around her torso and squeezing hard as she started to sob.

"I'm sorry," she cried. "I'm sorry I'm always in trouble. I'm sorry I'm a teacher's pet. I'm sorry I disappointed you."

"Oh, my sweet baby girl. You didn't disappoint me! It's true that you need to refrain from hurting others, but I understand that your feelings were hurt, and you felt the need to defend yourself. I know how hard it is to be picked on. I got bullied in school too."

"You did?"

"Mhmm."

"I love you, Mom. I'm sorry."

"It's okay, baby. Just… next time… please, go get Miss Luthor. She'll have your back. I know she will."

"She could have your back too, mum. You just have to ask her out!"

"Alura!" Kara cried, exasperated. "Will you let that drop?"

"You said she was pretty!"

"She _is_ pretty," Kara huffed. "But that doesn't mean it's okay to ask her out."

"Mom, _why?_ You need a girlfriend."

"I don't need a girlfriend!" the hero cried. "I don't have _time_ for a girlfriend!"

"Yes, you do. You have time for me."

"Yes. Yes, I do. And I always will. But that's all the time I've got, baby. There's 1000 reasons not to ask your teacher out. Please, try to understand that it's just not appropriate."

"Fine. Then I'll tell her you like her and _she_ can ask _you_ out!" Alura cried happily, clapping her hands. "I'm brilliant!"

"You are brilliant, but you are _not_ going to do that."

"Why? Cause it's true?"

"Alura. Enough."

With an exaggerated huff, Alura moaned, " _Fiiiine._ Have it your way and be single forever."

Kara's mouth fell open. Was her daughter seriously predicting her 'forever alone' status? _Ugh,_ Kara thought. _Kid's too cunning for her own good._

"As long as I have you," the girl's mother finally managed to reply, "I'm happy. I don't need a girlfriend."

"Maybe I want you to have one…" Alura said in a whisper, her cheeks turning slightly pink from embarrassment.

"What?" Kara gaped. "Why?"

"Because you deserve one, and I want to see you be happy. You're sad all the time. And because I want another parent."

"You… You want another parent?"

"Not instead of you. I just want two, like everyone else. I just want to be normal."

"Sweetie… There's no such thing as normal. Lots of people have alternative families. And we're gonna be just fine, you and me."

Starting to cry again, Alura buried her face in her mother's shoulder and held on to her tightly.

"It's not fair," she whimpered. "Everyone else gets a mom and a dad but me!"

"That is incredibly far from the truth, Alura. There are other kids in your class with one parent. I guarantee it."

"I want another parent!"

"Hey… You've never said you wanted a _dad._ So… you'd be okay with mom having a girlfriend, not a boyfriend?"

"Of course. Boys are gross."

"You might not feel that way when you're older," Kara chuckled, ruffling the girl's hair.

"I want you to have a wife," Alura sighed. "I don't want—"

"First it's a girlfriend, now it's a wife? You want mum to get married?"

Alura nodded, cuddling closer.

"I want a family."

"Alura… We are a family."

"You won't even let me get a dog!" the girl whined. "You don't want me to be happy at all."

"Baby girl. It's not that simple. I do want you to be happy. It's just complicated. And you can't take care of a dog right now."

"But—"

"Alura. Why are you pushing so hard? I'm doing the best I can, you know," Kara sighed, rubbing her daughter's back in slow circles.

Alura let out a soft whine, ignoring the question, and clung tighter to her mother.

"Alright. Alright. Let's just relax, okay? Why don't we drop the subject for a little while and just watch a movie?"

When her daughter nodded, Kara kissed the top of her head and allowed her to climb off her lap and snuggle into her side as she turned on the television.

It wasn't long before Alura fell asleep with her mother's arm wrapped protectively around her, so Kara lifted her into her arms and carried her to the bedroom with ease, gently laying her down in her bed.

In her own room, Kara pulled out a book and tried to relax, but thoughts of Alura's teacher and her stunning gentle smile plagued her repeatedly, so eventually, she set the book down on the nightstand and rubbed her temples to try to relax. It wasn't until she heard her door creak open that she was distracted enough to think about anything else.

"Alura," Kara greeted her. "What are you doing up?"

"I had a nightmare. Can I sleep with you?"

With a soft sigh, Kara shook her head and told her, "No, baby. You're too old to be sleeping with mom."

"But mumma," Alura whined softly. "I'm scared."

Of course, this tugged the hero's heartstrings so incredibly hard that she nearly collapsed, so she opened her arms and conceded, "Alright. Just tonight, though."

Nodding rapidly, Alura barreled towards the bed, jumping up on it and on top of her mother. When her arms wrapped tightly around Kara's torso, her mother sighed again, resting her head on top of her daughter's and holding her tightly.

"I love you, Alura," Kara whispered, stroking the girl's hair back. "I'm always going to be here for you. I will always protect you. And I will always, always love you. Okay?"

Alura nodded again and rested head on Kara's chest, falling asleep almost instantly.


	3. Chapter 3

Kara took the next two days off from work to stay home and watch Alura while she was suspended, since she couldn't find a sitter last minute.

At first, Alura thought this was a thrilling prospect and exclaimed, "We can go to the park together!"

But Kara shook her head firmly and said, "You're to stay at home doing your make-up work in your room, watching no television and speaking with no friends."

"But _mom,_ " Alura whined, crossing her arms in her typical defiant fashion.

Again, Kara shook her head and said, "Non-negotiable, kid. You hit another student. That's not good. I'm not going to reward you by taking you to the park."

"Okay, fine. But what if I'm good the rest of the week? Can we go Saturday?"

Shrugging her shoulders, Kara conceded, "Sure. I don't see why not, if you're good. If you stay out of trouble, there are lot of things I'd like to do together."

"Really?!"

"Yes. So, please… just behave yourself."

Alura nodded and said, "Okay, mum. I'll try."

Wearing a slight scowl, the older woman replied seriously, "Listen, kid. As Yoda would say… There is no try. There is only do, or do not."

Rolling her eyes at the Star Wars reference, Alura huffed, "Alright. I will. I'll behave."

"That's my girl!" Kara exclaimed, lifting her daughter into her arms and spinning her around with ease. Then, upon setting the girl down, she added, "And no more super speed at school!"

Alura huffed and agreed, "Fine. But someday I'm going to grow up and be the next Supergirl, just like you!"

Mouth nearly falling open, Kara stared at her daughter.

"Alura… You… You don't really want to be Supergirl, do you?"

"Of course I do. Except, I don't want a job job too. I want to be Supergirl _all_ the time!"

"We're… going to have to talk about this more later… but trust me, Alura, being Sueprgirl isn't all it's cracked up to be. I love it. I'm proud of it. But I need to be just Kara sometimes too."

"Why?"

"Because I'm a mom. And because I want to spend time with Auntie Alex. And I want to just… relax sometimes. And I like my job at CatCo."

"You do?"

"Yeah. I like all the roles I play in my life, Alura. It's all important. But… don't worry about being Supergirl right now, okay? The current Supergirl isn't going to retire any time soon."

Alura giggled and hugged her mother, saying, "Someday, I'm gonna be just like you!"

"I thought you said I was horrible," Kara teased, ruffling Alura's hair.

"You are. But only sometimes. The rest of the time, you're pretty cool."

Kara had to laugh at this as she kissed her daughter on the top of her head.

"Well, at least I'm cool sometimes."

~!~!~

When it was finally time for Alura to go back to school, Kara started to feel nervous.

"Please. Please, stay out of trouble. And no super speed at school!" she pleaded, as her car pulled up to the curb in front of the school.

Alura rolled her eyes but nodded as she slipped out of the car, calling back, "Okay, bye, mom!"

With a heavy sigh, Kara waved at her daughter and watched as she made her way into the building.

~!~!~

Amazingly, a month went by with no complications.

Kara hadn't stopped thinking about her daughter's beautiful teacher, but she'd started to relax some by the time parent-teacher conferences came around.

When it was time to see Alura's teacher again, Kara found herself stuck in front of the bathroom mirror trying on outfit after outfit.

"I look silly," Kara sighed to her daughter.

"Well, it's not like you're going on a date," Alura grumbled.

"Don't be like that," Kara said softly. "I just want to look nice for the conference."

"Just wear your little black dress."

"Alura."

"Why not? It's pretty."

"It's not appropriate. That's _too_ dressy."

"Fine. Pink blouse with khakis."

Smiling broadly, Kara kissed her daughter on the cheek and replied, "Perfect. Thank you, sweetie."

"Now, will you _please_ ask her out? I've been soooo good! Just do this one thing for me, and I'll never ask for anything ever again!"

Kara burst out laughing at how obviously impossible this claim was.

"Go put your shoes on. We're going to be late," she said simply, a smirk still tugging the corners of her lips.

~!~!~

Walking towards Miss Luthor's classroom, Kara's heart began to race. As soon as Alura threw the door open, rushing inside, and Kara saw the girl's teacher, she felt her mouth go dry. _Oh, Rao. She_ _ **is**_ _gorgeous,_ she couldn't help but think.

"Good afternoon, Miss Danvers," Miss Luthor greeted her, smiling warmly and making Kara melt.

Almost unable to speak, Kara managed to squeak out, "Good afternoon, Miss Luthor."

As she took her seat, Lena began to talk.

"Miss Danvers," she started. "I have to tell you…"

Kara's heart stopped. _Oh, boy. What now?_

"Alura's behavior in class has been absolutely phenomenal. She's even helping other students with activities. She hasn't been asking as many questions in class… She generally saves them for after the students go outside for break. But I think that makes sense, all things considered. She doesn't want to be seen as a teacher's pet. But she's still answering questions in class and even offering gentle help to those who need it. She has stunned me with how well she's done on all her math tests, and her reading comprehension is rock solid."

The hero's mouth fell open as she stared at Lena.

"I… I'm…" she tried to say but found herself unable to finish.

"SEE!" Alura shouted. "I _told_ you!"

Lena laughed at this, saying, "You're doing great, Alura. I'm very, very proud of you."

"I am too," Kara told her daughter, finally finding words. "Very, very proud."

"Good," Alura said. "Can we get ice cream?"

"Kid… With a report like that? You can have any food or dessert you want."

"REALLY?!" the girl shouted.

"Alura, shh. Don't yell, okay? Other people are in conferences."

"Sorry, mum," Alura apologized, looking down slightly. "I just got excited."

"I know, baby. It's okay," Kara told her. Then, turning back to the teacher, Kara asked, "Is there anything she's struggling with? Anything I need to work on with her or help her with?"

"She doesn't quite like science…" Lena mused. "But she's quite good at it. So honestly, Miss Danvers… You just have a very smart little munchkin on your hands."

"I guess I do," Kara agreed happily, smiling at her daughter and kissing the top of her head. "All set, then?"

Lena nodded with a smile and replied, "Shortest and most enjoyable conference I've had tonight, that's for sure."

"Thank you, Miss Luthor," the blonde said, returning the teacher's smile. Taking Alura's hand, she then said, "Alright, monkey. You ready to go get ice cream?"

Nodding rapidly, Alura gripped her mother's hand, then looked up at her teacher, blurting, "Do you wanna come, Miss Luthor?"

Both women felt their jaws go slack as their mouths hung open slightly.

"Alura!" Kara snapped, after a long moment of recovery from the shock of what her daughter had just said. "That's… That's…"

"Alura, sweetheart," Lena jumped in, when Kara found herself too sunned to find the words. "Your mom and I have very special, different relationships with you. She's, well… your mom. And I'm your teacher. And that means we aren't supposed to be more than that."

 _Does that mean she'd date me otherwise?!_ Kara was thinking, floored by Lena's diplomatic response.

"But _why?_ " Alura whined. "It's not fair. And she _likes_ you!"

Kara's jaw nearly hit the floor at that as she gaped, unable to speak.

"Alura…" Lena said, finally fumbling for words as she felt embarrassment rise to her cheeks.

 _Is she blushing?_ Kara wanted to know, feeling her heart race.

"WHY?" Alura shouted at her teacher. "Why can't you guys just… Get over it? It's… It's not fair! Don't you think my mom is pretty? She thinks _you're_ pretty!"

"Oh, my God," Kara blurted, face thoroughly reddened. "Alura. We're leaving. And if you say _one more word,_ I will ground you for the rest of your life."

"Miss Luthor!" the girl pleaded. "Come on. Please? Don't you think she's pretty?"

Sighing before trying to calm herself to drain the redness from her own face, Lena took a deep breath and started to tell her student, "I…" When her eyes drifted over to Kara, the blush returned, so she quickly looked away, back at her student, and finished, "I think your mother is very pretty, Alura. But it's complicated, and it wouldn't be right for us to… to go on a date."

"YOU THINK SHE'S PRETTY!" Alura howled, jumping up and down.

"That's enough!" Kara barked, covering her daughter's mouth with her hand. "You are so far beyond grounded. Miss Luthor… I am so, _so_ incredibly—"

Trailing off when she realized what Lena had just said – that she thought she was pretty – Kara stared at the teacher in awe and forgot to finish what she was saying.

"Don't apologize," Lena cut in, saving her from the embarrassment of forgetting what she was saying. "She's just a kid, Kara."

Mouth muffled by her mother's hand, Alura managed to say, "She called you Kara! See? She likes you!"

"It's okay," Lena assured the girl's mother. "It's… It's really fine." Then, turning to Alura, she said, "I know you're upset right now, but—"

As soon as Kara and Lena both saw tears bubbling over from Alura's eyes, Kara let her hand drop and knelt down in front of her.

"Baby. Baby, please. Please, listen to me. Miss Luthor is your teacher. She can't be more than that too."

"Then I'll change classes!" Alura sobbed.

"You don't want me to be your teacher, sweetie?" Lena asked with a slightly teasing tone and a warm smile.

"No!" Alura shouted defiantly. "Not if it means you won't date my mom!"

"You don't like my class?"

"I love you, Miss Luthor. I love your class," the girl sniffled through tears. "But I want you to love my mom more than I want to stay with you."

Eyes wide, Lena looked up at Alura's mother, cheeks still red.

 _She looks so beautiful like this,_ Kara was thinking, staring at the pink tint of Lena's cheeks.

Alura 'smart-as-a-whip' Danvers watched as the two women looked at each other with undeniable longing and instantly cried, "Can't you just go on _one_ date? Just to see?"

"Alura!" Kara shouted, losing her composure, mostly because of the embarrassment she was feeling.

"Kara. It's alright," Lena said softly. To Alura, she replied, in a desperate attempt to deter her from her efforts, "I don't think your mum really wants to take me on a date, Alura. I'm a boring old teacher! That's no fun."

"She likes you! She said you were pretty! And you're not old! And being a teacher isn't boring!"

Lena couldn't help but look at Kara in that moment, noticing the look of horror all over her face.

With a sigh, Kara had to reply, "Alura's right. Being a teacher isn't boring. And you're far from old. And…"

"And?"

Taking a deep, steadying breath, Kara looked between her daughter and the gorgeous woman who was looking at her expectantly and dared herself to say, "And I think… I think I would like to take you on a date. If you'd let me."

"YES!" Alura screamed, making Kara cover her mouth with her hand again.

"Shh," Kara hushed her. "Not another word. Let the grown-ups talk." Then, to Lena, she confessed, "This is definitely the weirdest way I've ever… um…"

"Weirdest way you've ever asked anyone out?" Lena finished with a chuckle.

Kara shook her head and said, "No. I'm not sure what I was going to say. I've never asked anyone out before. I've never been the pursuer, actually."

"Wow," Lena breathed, eyes slightly widened by Kara's confession. "Then I'm quite flattered."

Lena's smile made Kara's stomach feel like it was going to flip right out of her body.

"So… Would you like to get ice cream with us?" Kara asked shyly, her cheeks returning to a deepened shade of red as she kept her hand over her daughter's mouth.

Still smiling, Lena rose from her chair and announced, "Well… This was my last conference for the night… so… I would love to, Miss Danvers. And Alura… not a word of this to anyone, alright? Your mum and I will have to figure things out and… you've gotta keep this quiet, just for now, okay?"

With her mother's hand still preventing her from making sound, Alura nodded her head rapidly and began to bounce on her heels.


	4. Chapter 4

"Kind of weird to be going on a date with my daughter present," Kara joked, nervously forcing a laugh.

Lena shrugged her shoulders and replied, "It doesn't bother me at all. I'm just flattered to have been invited to your outing."

Kara blushed and stepped forward in the line to order their ice cream, without responding.

"Kara," Lena said softly, giving the woman's shoulder a featherlight touch. "Can I buy?"

"No way!" Kara blurted. "I asked you on the date. Therefore, I get to pay."

Biting her lip and looking dismayed, Lena sighed, "Alright. Well, thank you. Very much."

Offering a warm smile, Kara reached the front of the line and gave her and Alura's order of ice creams – two princess twists (black raspberry and vanilla soft serve) – then waited for Lena to do the same.

"Aww," Lena cooed. "It's so cute that you two get the same thing! I've never had a princess twist. Should I try it?"

Alura nodded enthusiastically, so that was what Lena ordered.

"Ice cream!" Alura cried, as soon as they were handed the cones. "Ice cream, ice cream!"

Rolling her eyes, Kara said, "Go sit down, gremlin. Let us talk for a minute."

Lena raised an eyebrow as she watched Alura scramble off to a nearby table.

"Everything okay?" the teacher asked nervously, turning her attention to her date.

"Yeah, everything's fine," Kara said. "I just… um… wanted to say… that I really do think you're quite stunning. I thought that the moment I saw you, through no influence of my daughter's. Just didn't want you to think she had to convince me or anything…"

"Wow, Kara…" Lena breathed. "I… I'm… quite flattered. Thank you."

"Anyway, let's go eat our ice cream before my blush turns my face into a tomato," the hero offered, forcing a laugh.

Lena smiled at her, making Kara's insides turn, then brushed the back of her hand with her fingertips, softly saying, "It's alright. It's quite a look on you."

"What? Blushing?"

Lena nodded.

"I, um…"

"Come on," Lena laughed, relieving Kara from her embarrassment. "Let's go sit."

Kara followed her date to the table where her daughter was sitting and asked, "How is it, kid?"

"SO GOOD," Alura said loudly, taking in another large mouthful that ended up all over her lips and chin.

"Oh, come on, Alura," Kara sighed. "The least you can do is eat like a human, not a wolf!"

"Wolves don't eat ice cream," Alura countered simply, giving the cone another long lick as some of the ice cream dripped rapidly onto her hand.

Kara rolled her eyes, and Lena laughed. Then, both women took a few licks of their own cones, starting at the bottoms to keep the drips from escaping.

"Wow," Lena sighed happily. "I haven't had ice cream in ages. This is amazing."

Kara and her daughter tilted their heads in confusion.

"Huh?" Alura asked. "How can you go through life without _ice cream?"_

Lena shrugged her shoulders and replied, "I'm not sure. I might not be able to now. I think I'd just forgotten how good it was. I try to eat healthy…"

Kara almost laughed at this. Of course she did. Perfect figure, perfect hygiene… how could she possibly eat junk food?

"That's awesome," the hero told her. "I wish I could eat right. I'm a foodie, so I pretty much just eat whatever."

"Certainly doesn't look like it. You're in great shape," Lena commented, then blushed as soon as she realized just how forward this comment was.

Smiling, Kara said simply, "I work out."

"You do n—" Alura started to say, then thought better of it after receiving a stern glare from her mother.

Kara had never needed to spend a day at the gym in her life. But on the other hand, she did get a work out battling the villains of National City, so it wasn't a lie.

"Anyway," Alura continued, shaking up her train of thought. "We should come here every Friday. Make it a tradition."

"Aww," Lena said sweetly. "That would be such a cool activity and tradition for you and your mum, Alura."

Blinking and staring blankly at her, as though dumbfounded that Lena hadn't understood what she'd meant, Alura explained, "I meant all of us."

The women blushed at the fact that Alura was already planning their family traditions from date one.

"Your mom hasn't even said she wants a second date, sweetie," Lena reminded the girl. "Let's just take it one step at a time, okay?"

Huffing after taking the last bite of her ice cream cone, Alura crossed her arms over her chest in protest. She refused to respond.

Turning back to Kara, Lena asked, "So what do you guys do for fun, other than ice cream?"

"Alura likes to go to the park," Kara shared. "I'm a big fan of reading."

"And eating," Alura chimed in.

"Alura!" Kara cried, unable to hold in her laughter.

"It's okay," Lena told her with a smile. "Eating can be a joy in life, if you're mindful about it."

"I am _so_ mindful about it," the blonde laughed, finishing her ice cream cone.

Laughing, Lena nodded her head, saying, "I see that," and finally finished off her own.

A few minutes later, when Alura's sugar rush kicked in, Kara sighed, "I shouldn't have let you have ice cream before dinner. That was a ridiculous idea, and I regret everything."

"Dinner? No way. I'm not hungry!" Alura announced proudly, hopping off the picnic bench and running to the nearest trash can to throw away her used napkins.

"Oh, boy," Kara chuckled, looking at Lena. "I sure did mess up on this one, huh?"

Lena shrugged and offered her a smile of understanding.

"I'm glad we did this, though, Lena," the hero told her softly. "It's been great spending time with you. I can see why my daughter loves you so much."

"I've enjoyed myself too," Lena confessed. "I'd… I'd really like to do this again sometime, if you're willing to see me again."

Kara's eyes went wide as she asked, "Really?"

"Yes, really," the teacher laughed. "Is that bad?"

"No! No, I didn't mean it like that!" Kara cried. "I meant that… I'm surprised you want to see me again."

"Why?" Lena asked curiously, tilting her head. "Your company has been lovely."

Blushing, Kara dropped her gaze slightly and mumbled, "Thank you, Lena. I… I'd really like to take you on another date. Except…"

Feeling her heart sink at the prospect of what was to come after 'except,' Lena bit her lip and averted her gaze, not wanting Kara to see the hurt there.

"Except… Maybe we could go by ourselves next time?" Kara asked, daring herself to lightly touch Lena's hand.

Lena couldn't stop her face from lighting up as she replied, "I'd love that. Nothing against your sweet Alura or anything. I'd just… like to get to know _you_ a little better."

"I can say the same about you. But what about Alura's class? I mean…"

"Let's figure that out after next time, alright? For now, I know she won't say anything at school, and I'm not too worried about it."

Beaming, Kara nodded enthusiastically and agreed, "Okay."

~!~!~

"That was amazing!" Alura cried, upon entering the house. "She's perfect, isn't she?"

"Alura—"

"Don't you love her?"

"You're moving a bit fast, okay? I like her very much, but I need to take things slow. Do you understand?"

"No," Alura pouted, flopping down on the couch.

"Alright, well… You will someday, so… for now… just… roll with it."

In response, the girl grumbled, "Fine."

The two sat in silence, watching their favorite show on television, as Kara's mind drifted away from the program and back to her moments with Lena.

"You should've kissed her," Alura suddenly blurted, as the show came to an end, tearing Kara from her thoughts.

"What?" Kara gaped. "It was the first date!"

"Yeah, so?"

"So… So it wasn't…"

"You didn't want to?"

"Of course I did! But that doesn't mean it was appropriate. Besides, you were there crashing the party, and that's kind of a private thing. You're lucky you got to tag along for the first date. That's pretty unorthodox."

Alura shrugged her shoulders and said, "I guess so. You still should've kissed her, though. How else is she going to know how much you like her?"

" _Alura_ ," Kara sighed. "You're exhausting. Go get ready for bed, okay?"

"Whatever," the girl huffed, hopping off the couch and hurrying off to the bathroom to brush her teeth.

After Alura finally settled down and went to sleep, leaving Kara alone with her thoughts, she laid in her bed and gripped her phone tightly in her hands.

 _Should I text her?_ she wondered, not wanting to seem needy, but also wanting to show interest.

Eventually, after several minutes of a silent back-and-forth argument, Kara decided she couldn't resist sending the woman a message.

' **I had a great time tonight. Thank you so much for your company.'**

It was moments later that she received a reply.

' **Truly my pleasure. Thank you for agreeing to a second date.'**

Kara had to laugh at this. She was the lucky one, in her opinion, not Lena. Besides, she didn't just 'agree' to a second date, she was eager to have one.

' **When can I see you again?'**

Blushing when she realized how desperate this sounded, Kara slammed a pillow over her face and nearly screamed into it. When the next reply came, the hero found herself incredibly relieved.

' **Any time you want. I could do dinner Sunday night, if you'd like.'**

"Thank God," she mumbled to herself. "That was a close one."

The last thing she wanted was to mess things up with Lena, the one woman she'd been attracted to since before Alura's birth.

' **That sounds fantastic. Where do you want to go?'**

' **Anywhere you want to go.'**

' **Not fair. I asked you first!'**

' **You treated me to ice cream. It's your turn to pick, so I can pay! ;P'**

' **Alright, alright. How about that new place on Silver Street? The burger place?'**

' **Done deal. I love a good burger.'**

' **Great! See you around… 6:00 PM?'**

' **Perfect. Have a good night, Kara. Thanks again.'**

' **You too, Lena.'**

With that, Kara leaned back against the pillows and let out a long sigh, shutting her eyes and finding Lena behind her eyelids. The beautiful woman's smile and bright red lipstick stuck out in her mind and refused to make an exit, so as Kara finally fell asleep, the images remained and bled into her dreams.


	5. Chapter 5

"You better kiss her tonight," Alura announced, when Sunday night rolled around.

Standing in front of the mirror adjusting her glasses and smoothing her shirt, Kara rolled her eyes and retorted, "Why don't you mind your business, kid?"

"'Cause she's my future mom! I don't want you to mess it up!"

"I won't mess it up!" Kara shot back, scowling at her daughter. "Hey, wait! Slow down, kid. We don't even know if she'll let me take her on another date. We might find out we're not a good fit for each other. I don't want you to get your hopes up too high, okay?"

"You _are_ a good fit for each other. Just don't mess it up."

Sighing out of frustration, Kara said, "I'll do my best, alright? That's all I can do."

"Fine," Alura huffed. "But I'm gonna hate you if you—"

"Easy," Kara warned. "Don't talk like that."

"Well, it's true!"

"I'm going to tell Auntie Alex to straighten you out if you don't watch it. I swear, kid, I'm gonna put you on the freakin' moon."

"Alright, _fine!_ I'll shut up. Just… make sure you kiss her."

The two were interrupted by a knock at the door, which Kara answered in a hurry.

"Hey, Alex," she said with a smile. "I was just telling Alura here to behave herself."

"Oh, I'm sure she will!" Kara's sister exclaimed, lifting Alura into her arms and spinning her around. Then, setting her back on the floor, she asked, "Won't you, sweetheart? You're always good for Auntie Alex."

Alura beamed and nodded her head in triumph, then grinned in her mother's direction.

Rolling her eyes, Kara checked her watch and announced, "I gotta go, guys. Be good."

"I will," Alura answered brightly.

"I'll try," Alex teased.

"You too, brat," Kara asserted, pointing threateningly at Alex. "No candy, no ice cream, no sweets. Bedtime by 8:30."

"9 o'clock!" Alura begged.

"Alright. No later than nine."

Clapping her hands, Alura jumped up and down, causing her aunt to laugh and ruffle her hair.

"Okay, I'm out. Wish me luck," Kara said, her voice starting to shake.

"Hey," Alex stopped her, touching her arm. "You've got this."

"Go, go, go!" Alura shouted, pushing her mother hard towards the door. "You're gonna be late! Make sure you kiss her!"

"Bye, guys," Kara sighed, feeling stressed and overwhelmed with the prospect of finally going on a date.

~!~!~

"Hi," Kara greeted Lena shyly, upon finding her waiting outside the restaurant.

The reporter, of course, was right on time, but Lena had arrived early.

"Hey, Kara," Lena said, smiling brightly. "You look lovely."

"I should say the same about you," Kara offered, nodding at Lena's choice of attire.

This time, her dress was a deep shade of red that matched her lipstick, and although Kara had only been in her presence for about a minute, it was already driving her wild.

With a wink, Lena replied, "I try. I know I'm a little overdressed for a burger joint, but that's alright. Let's go inside?"

Kara nodded her consent and followed the woman into the restaurant.

"So, how are you? How was your day?" Kara asked cheerfully, trying to stop her voice from shaking as they were seated at their table.

"I'm doing well," Lena told her. "Today was a bit boring, though. Just laundry and cleaning and thinking about tonight."

Surprised by this confession, Kara's blue eyes went slightly wide.

"And yourself?" Lena asked with a smile, noticing but ignoring Kara's strong reaction.

"I, um… I could say much of the same."

"To which part?"

"The, um… Thinking about tonight part."

This earned another smile from Lena's lips as she gazed at her date, who was starting to blush, and said, "I'm glad to hear that."

Kara smiled back at her, grateful for her warm demeanor and feeling relieved by their shared excitement for the evening.

"I haven't done anything without Alura in so long," Kara chuckled suddenly. "It's weird to be alone with another adult."

"You two do seem very close," Lena said, to express her understanding.

"We are. But that's what happens when you're a single mom, I think. It's a different bond."

Lena nodded, considering asking about Alura's father, then thought better of it, saving that question for a later time (if there was one).

"I'm glad you let me take you out," the teacher told Kara. "You deserve time to yourself, too, you know. And I'm feeling very, very lucky that you're choosing to spend that time with me."

"Oh, I don't know about lucky," the reporter laughed. "I think I'm the lucky one."

Just as Lena was about to open to her mouth to make a retort, the waiter approached and took their orders.

Throughout the meal, they talked about their likes and dislikes, mostly agreeing on things, and Kara put in considerable effort into not getting any of her burger on her outfit. Thankfully, she succeeded in this task and finished her meal without incident. Lena didn't seem to have that struggle. She ate as gracefully as a hummingbird, and Kara couldn't help but watch in awe at every move she made.

"You okay?" Lena finally asked, after dabbing the corners of her lips with a napkin, having finished her own meal as well.

"Y-Yeah, I just…"

"You're staring, Miss Danvers."

Biting her lip sadly, Kara told her, "I've just had such a wonderful time tonight. To be honest, I'm… I'm not really wanting it to end."

"Me either. And it doesn't have to," Lena offered brightly. "Would you like to talk a walk downtown with me?"

Sporting a broad smile that washed away any sadness that was left on Kara's face, the reporter nodded her head quickly and said, "I would absolutely love that, Lena. Thank you."

Kara tried to pay for their meal, but Lena was having none of that and shoved her card in the waiter's direction faster than Kara pulled her wallet out.

With a huff, Kara protested, "I would've paid. Really."

"You bought ice cream," Lena reminded her. "You can pay next time."

Both women froze at that, realizing what had just been said at the same exact time.

"Does… Does that mean you want a next time?" Kara asked shyly, offering Lena a sideways glance as they watched the waiter return with Lena's card.

"I would absolutely _love_ a next time, Kara," the brunette confessed.

"Oh, thank _God,_ " Kara laughed. "I was scared to ask."

Rising gracefully from the table as she slipped her card back into her wallet, Lena told her date, "Don't be scared to ask me anything. Please. Ask away. Always. I don't bite unless I'm asked to."

The grin on Lena's face made Kara's lips part in shock. Had she really just made that joke? Up until then, things had been pretty PG-rated. But that particular comment was… suggestive, and Kara was surprised.

"I'm kidding," Lena assured her. "I won't bite you."

Swallowing her nerves, Kara replied, "Maybe I'm into that." When Lena raised an eyebrow in an obvious display of interest, Kara dared to add, "Even if I wasn't, I'd probably let you do whatever you want to me."

 _Oh, God,_ Kara thought instantly, as soon as she'd shut her mouth. _What the fuck did I just say? I just flushed this whole date!_

But Lena laughed at this and told her, "I'd never want you to do anything you weren't into. I want you to be comfortable with me. That's sweet, though."

Feeling relieved and impressed by Lena's reply, Kara followed the brunette out of the establishment.

Outside, the two fell in step with each other as they headed closer to the downtown area.

"Want to go to the park?" Lena asked, after they'd walked for a few moments in silence.

Smiling, Kara nodded and said, "I've never been without Alura, and I've never been at night."

"Oh, it's pretty. The streetlights make it sort of quaint, and it kinda helps me forget I'm in a big city, you know?"

Kara nodded, and to her surprise, as they were just about to round the street corner to head in the direction of the park, Lena slid her hand into the reporter's, holding it gently as they walked. This, of course, made Kara's heart stop, and she nearly forgot to keep walking. In fact, she almost tripped on the curb as they crossed the street. Luckily, she was able to regain her balance before Lena noticed.

They were at the park in no time, and just when Kara began to feel worried that Lena was going to let go of her hand, Lena gave it a little squeeze as she sat down on a bench and gently tugged on it to pull Kara down beside her.

The blonde sat down without saying anything, finding herself entranced by the sight and feeling of their hands being joined.

"Everything okay?" Lena asked her, sounding surprisingly nervous.

Kara nodded, tearing her eyes away from their hands, and confessed, "I haven't felt butterflies like this in a _long_ time."

With a satisfied smiled, Lena told Kara, "Me either."

Then, despite Kara's best efforts, her gaze fell – quite obviously – to Lena's lips. Subconsciously, Kara wet her own, feeling her heart race, and made every effort to look away, to absolutely no avail.

"I think you're staring again, Miss Danvers," Lena gently teased, touching Kara's thigh.

Finally, Kara was able to tear her eyes away as she looked back up in shock, her face showing every ounce of embarrassment she was feeling.

"S-Sorry," she blurted, looking away completely.

"No, it's okay," Lena assured her, taking both of her hands in her own. "It's… Hey. Look at me."

Cheeks burning, Kara lifted her head and looked at her date, who was smiling warmly and seeming completely unfazed by Kara's uncontrollable reaction to her lips.

"It's okay," Lena repeated. "I was looking too."

Parting her lips to speak, Kara felt the impulse to apologize again, but bit it back as she asked, "You were?"

Lena nodded, continuing to smile, and reached out to brush Kara's cheek with her thumb.

"Kara…"

"Yeah?"

"You're really something special, you know that?"

"W-What?"

"No one's made me smile like this. No one's made my stomach flip like this. No one's ever made me feel so comfortable and… safe…"

"You are safe with me," Kara assured her, latching on to the one thing she had confidence in. "I'd never let anything bad happen to you."

 _That was a bit forward_ , she was thinking, as soon as the words came out, a blush rising further up her cheeks.

"I believe you," Lena promised. "And…"

"And?"

"And if it's okay… I'd… I'd really like for you to kiss me."

Tongue darting out to wet her lips, Kara leaned in slowly. Lena took this as an invitation to slide her hand behind Kara's neck and gently pull her forward.

Just as Lena's lips were about to connect with her own, Kara's breath hitched in her chest, making her feel like she was suffocating. She hadn't kissed anyone since before Alura's birth. And this… this was—

Fireworks.

That was the only way she knew how to describe what happened when their lips touched. Lena held her close, with one hand cupping the back of her neck and the other stroking her cheek with her thumb. Kara loved every second of it and every move of their lips. Even the smoothness of Lena's lipstick was intoxicating. So much so that when Lena finally pulled away from her to breathe, Kara's heart sank.

"Wow," Kara breathed. "That was incredible."

"It was," Lena agreed with a smile, pressing their foreheads together. "I'd really like to do that again sometime."

Kara laughed and nodded her head, telling Lena, "Of course. How could I ever stop, now that I've tasted you?"

"Alright… How about right now then?" the brunette asked slyly, leaning in just slightly.

Kara was about to accept the offer when her cell phone went off, sending the moment crashing to a screeching halt.

"Shit, sorry," Kara blurted. "It's Alex. It might be about Alura. I'm really sorry." After answering the call and hearing Alex's voice relaying the purpose for her call, Kara ended the call, locked the phone and sighed, "I have to go, Lena. I'm sorry."

"Is Alura okay?" Lena asked anxiously, touching Kara's hand. "Is there anything I can do?"

"No, it's okay… It's… It's family stuff. Can I call you tomorrow?"

Lena nodded, looking slightly bewildered, and watched as Kara took off, nearly running.


	6. Chapter 6

Supergirl had her work cut out for her that night, as there was a 3-alarm fire at an apartment building. Of course, Supergirl had never wanted to see innocent people get hurt, but she found herself incredibly grateful when she realized that the fire was taking place two buildings down from her own apartment. After zipping into her own apartment to check on Alex and Alura, and finding them safe, Supergirl dashed to the flames and put out the fire with her freeze breath, saving tens of residents first, with some additional help from the fire department.

"Thank you, Supergirl," the fire chief had told her gratefully. "Couldn't have taken care of the fire without casualties if we didn't have your help. There are a couple of people headed to the hospital now with concerns about smoke inhalation, but everyone's alive, thanks to you."

Unable to keep herself from smiling – no matter how many times she did things like this, it was always a relief to find out everyone involved was safe – Supergirl replied, "You're welcome, sir. It was my pleasure. I do have to go, though. Thanks for all the good work you do for National City."

Without waiting for his reply, Supergirl took off, soaring into the sky and disappearing behind her own apartment building where she changed in a back alley and entered the building, running full-super-speed up the stairs to her family.

"I'm so glad you're both safe," she breathed, embracing both of her family members at the same time. "I love you so much. I'm sorry I wasn't here."

"I'm really glad you're—" Alex started to say, but Alura cut her off.

"Did you kiss her?!" the girl blurted, tearing out of the hug and bouncing on her heels.

Kara rolled her eyes and sighed, "None of your business."

" _Moooooom,"_ Alura whined. "Tell me!"

Even Alex looked interested, so Kara sighed again and threw herself onto the couch, rubbing her temples.

"Yes, I did, okay? God, you guys are nosy. Anyway, it lasted about point-three seconds before I got the call, interrupting what would have been the second kiss. You happy?"

"YES!" Alura screamed.

"Alura!" Kara scolded her. "Keep it down! People are sleeping!"

"No, they're not! They're all outside watching that building get _roasted!_ "

"Alura! People could have died!"

"Yeah, but I bet they didn't! I bet you saved them all!"

"Would you _hush?_ For just, like, maybe five seconds? Give mom a break."

"You _had_ a break. With Lena."

It was the first time Kara had ever heard her daughter refer to Lena as anything other than Miss Luthor.

"You shouldn't call her that, Alura. For now, she's still your teacher."

"For now?"

"Well… If she wants a third date… we'll have to talk about you changing classrooms. _Then_ we can talk about you calling her Lena. And that will be up to her. And that's IF, do you understand? No getting ahead of ourselves. We're taking things slowly, alright?"

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever."

"You did great, Kara," Alex told her sister with a smile, both women ignoring Alura's attitude. "I'm proud of you."

"Rao, it's been so long…"

Alex nodded her head and said, "I know, hun. I know."

Then, turning to her daughter, Kara announced, "Bedtime, kid. I need to talk to Auntie alone for a bit."

"But _mom!_ " Alura shouted. "I don't wanna go to bed! I wanna hear all about the—"

"Bed. _Now._ "

Scowling fiercely, Alura stomped off to the bathroom to brush her teeth.

As soon as her niece had disappeared, Alex sat down next to her sister on the couch and said, "So tell me what happened. Was it good?"

Kara leaned back against the couch, shutting her eyes, and sighed, " _So_ good, Alex. She is stunning. Captivating. Absolutely radiant."

"And the kiss?" Alex teased, nudging her sister in the side.

Blushing and unable to hide her broad smile, Kara opened her eyes and told Alex, "More than I ever could have hoped for. Better than I've ever had. I just wish I'd stolen one more, you know?"

"Hey. You've got plenty of time."

"You don't know that. She might be pissed at me for running off."

"I doubt it. She seems very compassionate, from everything you've told me, and she knows how much Alura means to you. She'll understand."

"I hope you're right, Alex, because Rao damn… that woman…"

Alex's smile was now just as broad as Kara's as she elbowed her playfully in the ribs, saying, "I think somebody just fell in love."

"Shh!" Kara hissed, looking around to make sure Alura hadn't snuck back into the living room. "Don't say that."

"Why? Because you don't want to admit it?" Alex teased, still grinning from ear to ear.

"No!" Kara snapped. "Because I don't want you to get Alura worked up. It still might not work out, okay?"

"Oh, my God! So, you _are_ in love!"

"Hush!"

"Oh, _shit,_ girl! I am so happy for you!"

"If you don't shut the hell up, I'm gonna use my heat vision to melt off one of your fingers!"

"You wouldn't!"

"Try me!"

"Okay…" Alex tested. Then, in a whisper, she leaned in close and said, "You _love_ her."

Letting out a high-pitched whine, Kara curled into a fetal position on the couch, with her head on Alex's leg, and whimpered, "I'm so fucked, Alex."

"No, sweetie. You're just scared." Then, after a pause, Alex said softly, "Hey… Hey. Kara. Don't cry, honey. It's gonna be okay," stroking Kara's hair back as soon as she noticed the tears in her sister's eyes. "What's the matter? You said it went well. What are you so worried about?"

Choking on her words, Kara managed to squeak out, "What if I fucked it up at the end? What if she thinks I'm totally rude and never talks to me again? Alex… Alex, I don't think I can do this."

"WHOA," Alex cried, putting her hand firmly on her sister's shoulder. "You can do this. Don't you dare give up or back down now. You don't bend or break for anyone, remember?"

In a hushed whisper, Kara told Alex, "I'm breaking for her."

Eyes wide, her sister replied, "Shit, Kara. This is the real deal, isn't it?"

"It's too soon," Kara told her. Then, after a pause, she added, "But yes. This is the real deal. At least for me."

"If you feel this strongly, I'm sure she does too. Please, don't back down. Don't give up, just because you're scared."

"I'm not _scared,_ " Kara hissed, scowling up at her sister. "I'm just…"

"Terrified of loving again?"

Kara nodded and started to cry again.

"Please, Rao, don't let me fuck this up," she prayed under her breath.

"Oh, honey," Alex sighed, continuing to stroke her sister's hair. "You won't."

"I hope you're right, Alex. I really hope you're right."

~!~!~

After they'd said their goodnights and Alura was in bed, Kara laid down in her room, staring at her phone, wondering if she should text Lena to apologize. The last thing she wanted was for Lena to think she was rude or inconsiderate… or worse, think that she didn't care.

"I'm so fucked," Kara sighed to herself, feeling tears sting her eyes again.

Just as she was about to draft a text, just to see what it looked like and how it sounded, a message came through. Kara nearly jumped off the bed when she felt the sudden, unexpected vibration in her hand.

' **Is everything okay? Not meaning to pry. Just saw that an apartment went up in flames tonight and worried about you and yours.'**

Kara's eyes went impossibly wide with shock. This woman was far, _far_ too sweet. Not to mention… this meant she wasn't mad. She was showing compassion and caring. And it sounded like she genuinely cared for her family's wellbeing. And that was something that made the hero's heart swell more than anything.

' **We're alright. Wasn't our building, but was close to ours. We're at 1022 Argo street. The fire was at 1018.'**

The reply came almost instantly.

' **Holy shit. I'm so glad you're all okay, Kara.'**

' **I'm so sorry I had to go. I wouldn't have left if it wasn't important. Everything's okay now, though, thankfully. Thank you so, so much for your concern, Lena. And please know that I had an absolutely fantastic time with you.'**

' **I did too, Kara. I completely understand that family comes first. I'd never ask you to change that. Not ever. And…'**

' **And?'**

' **And I'm dying to see you again. Though I'm far from upset with you for leaving, I was also quite devastated to have the night end. I could have stayed on that park bench all night, Kara.'**

The hero felt her heart stop, then kickstart again with a loud 'thud.' She could hear her pulse in her ears and feel the palpitations and fluttering of her heart. The feeling caught her off guard and almost scared her, as it was a painful reminder of just how deep she was in this with Lena.

' **I would have. I didn't want to leave. And I'm dying to see you, too.'**

' **If that's the case… Maybe we should meet up tomorrow, if you're free, and… maybe talk about how we're going to switch Alura's classroom? I'm not trying to be forward, I'm just… I want things to be fair for her, and I really, really want to see you again. I wouldn't want to give this up for the world.'**

Kara was exceedingly shocked by Lena's openness with her and how incredibly genuine she seemed to be. And how interested she was. Kara had been sure that Lena would reject her after she had to leave so suddenly, but here they were… practically begging to see each other again.

' **I can meet you when you're out of school? I'll make sure I don't book any interviews for tomorrow afternoon.'**

' **You don't have to do anything special for me. If you get busy, it's really okay.'**

' **I won't get busy. Barring an emergency, I'll be there.'**

' **I can't wait.'**

' **Okay.'**

' **Okay, what?'**

' **Okay. I'll bring you a coffee in the morning too, then. The place right outside the office makes phenomenal coffee. Trust me.'**

' **You'd really do that for me?'**

' **You think I was kidding? I can't wait to see your smiling face again. And maybe… taste your lips?'**

Kara couldn't believe how flirtatious and honest she'd just been. Since when was she so forward?

' **You are painfully charming, my dear. ;) I'll see you in the morning. Class starts at 7:30, so… can you be there around 7?'**

' **I'll be there.'**

' **Thank you. I need to get some sleep so I'm not a zombie tomorrow. Sweet dreams, Kara.'**

' **Sweet dreams.'**

Kara tried to sleep once she set her alarms and locked her phone, but the continuous racing of her heart kept her awake for the next few hours.


	7. Chapter 7

"Oh, wow," Lena greeted Kara the next morning, as soon as Kara entered the classroom holding two cups of coffee. "Good morning, beautiful."

"I-I, um…" Kara stammered, blushing and immediately looking down.

"Hey," Lena said softly, stepping out from behind the desk and approaching the woman. "It's true. Just stating the obvious."

The smile on Lena's face stunned Kara when she looked up and saw it, and she felt her insides turn to a squishy pile of mush as she felt more heat rising to her cheeks.

"T-Thank you, Lena, but I—"

But Lena cut her off by gently taking the cups from her and setting them on the desk behind her before turning back to the woman who had been kind enough to deliver them.

"Would it be okay if I gave you a good morning kiss?" Lena asked softly, touching Kara's forearm.

"Y-Yes, of course," the blonde mumbled, nodding her head slightly.

Lena took a graceful step forward before cupping Kara's face in her hands and pecking her softly on the lips.

"I missed that already," Lena confessed.

The fact that Lena was so incredibly forward, honest, and genuine was making Kara melt further, and it almost stunned her into silence.

But instead of saying nothing – which would have been even more embarrassing – Kara whispered, "As did I. And… you look quite stunning yourself."

The subtle smirk that spread over Lena's lips told Kara, very much to her surprise, that the little bit of cleavage on display from her blouse was quite intentional.

With a shrug, Lena replied, "I thought you might like this outfit."

Swallowing her nerves, Kara told her, "I do."

Still smiling, the teacher shook her head and touched the other woman's cheek again, rubbing her thumb over it gently before saying, "You're quite shy."

"Only around you," Kara confessed with a chuckle. "It's really embarrassing, but with you… I can't seem to get my shit together."

Lena's smile turned into a grin.

"I hope you never do. It's adorable. Not to mention… if I can make you blush like this every day, I'll consider it a victory."

"I probably will," the hero laughed, dropping her gaze. "I don't think I could ever stop being stunned by your beauty."

"You're such a charmer!" Lena announced brightly, leaning in and catching Kara's lips again. "And thank you for the coffee. Do you want to sit? You're the only one I'd let sit on my desk."

Laughing at this, Kara nodded, scooted onto the desk, and smiled at Lena, saying, "Thank you."

The two drank their coffees, sharing random work stories to make each other laugh. Kara could hardly bear the sound of Lena's laugh – it was intoxicating – but she knew she never wanted it to end.

"Hey… You gotta go," Kara said sadly, glancing at the clock. "Kiddos will be here in a few."

Sighing, Lena took Kara's hand and whispered, "I don't want to work today. I want to ditch and play hooky with you."

Smiling, Kara shook her head and told her, "The munchkins need you. Go feed bright young minds with knowledge!" With that, she hopped off the desk, pecked Lena on the cheek, and said, "I'll see you after school."

Lena winked and teased, "We'll have to talk about your grade and see if you can do some… extra credit to bring it up."

Blushing, Kara nodded, saying, "I'm game."

After giving a shy wave, the hero slipped out of the classroom and continued her day.

~!~!~

After work, Kara felt the urge to change into her super suit to get to Lena faster. Still, she knew she couldn't show up as Supergirl, and she knew it would all be worth the wait, so she walked to the school and knocked on Lena's classroom door.

When Lena opened it, Kara's eyes went wide. There were tears in Lena's eyes. They hadn't fallen, but she could tell they were threatening to.

"What's going on?" Kara asked anxiously. "Are you okay?" Then, noticing the large, fresh bouquet of flowers in the trash can by Lena's desk, she raised an eyebrow before looking back at the woman who was appearing so distraught.

"I… It's…" Lena tried, but found herself unable to explain.

"Lena…" Kara gently pressed. "Did something happen?"

Really, she also wanted to ask, 'Who were the flowers from?' but she knew it was none of her business.

Luckily, her curiosity and concern were sated by Lena's reply.

"M-My… My ex… sent me flowers…"

Kara's heart sank. Was Lena still hung up on her ex?

"Oh," Kara said simply. "Are… Are you okay?"

Lena shook her head and pulled Kara all the way into the classroom before shutting the door behind them.

"Not really," she confessed. "Sam is… pushy. And… I don't… I—" she cut herself off when she saw just how disappointed Kara was, knowing exactly what she was concerned about "—It's definitely not like that. I promise you, Kara. I… It's just…"

"Listen… Lena… It's hard to get over an ex, and if that's what's going on… I get it…"

But Kara's voice cracked from the disappointment she was feeling at the end of the sentence.

Lena immediately shook her head.

"No. Please, listen. I'm… I'm just kind of… scared of her."

Instantly, Kara felt her body tense.

"She's… She's pretty… persistent…" Lena tried to explain.

Kara knew exactly what this meant, though.

"Is she harassing you?" the hero pressed, gritting her teeth and clenching her fists tighter than she really should have. Lena bit her lip and didn't answer, so Kara pressed firmly, "Lena. Tell me. Please."

Slowly, Lena nodded.

"There's… There's a restraining order…"

"And she sent you _flowers?_ " Kara gaped, looking over at the trash can.

Again, Lena nodded.

"I just want her to leave me alone," Lena sniffled, rubbing a tear out of her eye. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be so upset. I should just… I… I'm just. Nervous. She… She scares me."

"Did she say anything to you, in a note or whatever?"

Lena shook her head and replied, "She just wrote my name on the card. Not another word."

"Then how do you know it was her?"

"I'd know her handwriting anywhere," Lena sighed, rubbing her temples. "I'm sorry, Kara. I wish I could just get my shit together, but I'm so freaked out."

"Do you… Do you want me to walk you home?"

Lena looked up and met Kara's gaze. She was sincere.

"If… If you don't mind, I'd appreciate not walking alone right now."

"Did you alert law enforcement?" Kara asked quickly. "They should—"

"No. No cops," Lena said sharply. "I don't want them involved, okay? I don't… don't want to go there…"

Raising an eyebrow, Kara asked carefully, "Do you still care about her?"

With a soft sigh, Lena replied, "No. I don't. But I know her. It would escalate."

"What if it escalates now?"

"I don't know, okay? I don't have a plan. I just… want this to be over."

Kara felt her insides grinding. All she wanted was to break this stalker into a thousand pieces and fry her ass with heat vision just to watch her burn. Anyone who hurt Lena was on her villain list.

Eventually, the hero nodded her head and gently pulled Lena into a hug.

"I'll walk you home," Kara assured her. "I don't have to go in. I just want to make sure you get there one hundred percent safe. Once you're in with the door locked, I'll leave, okay?"

"What?"

"Well, I don't want you to feel like you have to invite me in. I just wanted you to know that this can go at your pace, and I'd never pressure you to—"

"Why don't you just come in and have a drink? Didn't you say this morning that Alex was picking up Alura from the after-school program?"

Kara nodded, then asked, "Are you sure you want me to come in? I really don't want you to feel pressured or uncomfortable, ever."

"I don't," Lena promised. "And honestly… I'd feel better with you there."

Kara couldn't help but smile at this. Lena really wanted her there. And felt safe with her. That was a good feeling.

"Then I'll come in for a bit. Just to make sure you're settled."

"Thank you, Kara," Lena said, finally smiling back at the blonde as the mood lightened. "It means the world to me."

~!~!~

Kara walked side-by-side with Lena towards the teacher's apartment, committing to a few seconds of bravery as she reached for Lena's hand. With her enhanced hearing, Kara could tell that the woman's heart was racing, so she took a small step closer and looked over at her companion.

"Lena. It's okay," the hero promised, giving Lena's hand a gentle squeeze. "I'm right here."

"We're almost—" Lena started to say, as they rounded a corner and ended up right in front of the door to Lena's apartment, where the teacher stopped dead in her tracks.

In one moment, Kara noticed the look of discomfort on Lena's face. In the next, she followed Lena's gaze to the steps up to the door, where another bouquet of flowers was waiting for Lena.

"Shit," Lena blurted, frozen where she stood. "I…"

"Lena, you should call the—"

"No cops!"

"Alright," Kara sighed, protectively wrapping her arm around Lena's shoulders and pulling their bodies together. "Alright. Let's go upstairs and make sure everything up there is okay. Sound alright?"

Lena nodded, looked around for anyone who may have been watching (including her ex) and reached into her purse. Kara thought she was about to pull out her keys – which she did, with one hand – but her right hand came out of the purse holding a small revolver.

"Jesus, Lena!" Kara hissed, pushing down on Lena's hand to put the gun back into the bag. "Don't just pull that out in the middle of the street, alright!?"

"Fair point," Lena mumbled, blushing. "Sorry. Just… spooked. Rather be safe than sorry."

"Let's go inside, okay? I've got my eyes peeled."

And of course, Kara used her X-Ray vision to search the perimeter as Lena fumbled anxiously with the lock on the door. Thankfully, she saw no one suspicious lurking anywhere near them, so she followed Lena up the stairs into the apartment, where Lena locked the door handle and the deadbolt behind them.

One inside the living room up in Lena's apartment, Kara watched carefully as Lena's heart continued to race and she began to pace across the room.

"Lena…" Kara tried, looking at her companion with pleading eyes. "Please, take some deep breaths, okay? It's gonna be alright. I promise you, Lena. I'm not going to let anyone hurt you."

Looking skeptical but also somewhat comforted by Kara's words, Lena sat down on the couch and patted the seat next to her. Kara sat down beside her, giving her plenty of space, knowing she was anxious. But Lena was having none of that and immediately scooted closer, resting her head on Kara's shoulder.

"I've never felt safe with anyone before," Lena confessed. "You're the first, and we've hardly—"

"You can trust me," Kara promised her. "I'd never, ever hurt you, Lena. And if… if you ever did happen to ask me to leave… I'd respect that. I'd respect _you._ I will _always_ respect you."

Tears welling in her eyes, Lena wrapped her arms around Kara and held her close, leaving her head on the blonde's shoulder.

Then, pulling away just enough to speak, a faint smile spread over Lena's lips as she whispered, "Your hair smells amazing."

Instantly, a blush rose to Kara's cheeks as she dropped her gaze away from Lena's and mumbled a quiet, "Thank you."

"No, really," Lena pressed. "It's… It's really something. What do you use in your hair?"

"Shampoo?" Kara blurted, looking back at Lena with a blank, confused stare.

"Yes but… Oh, nevermind," Lena laughed. "Whatever it is… I love it."

Kara could tell that Lena's heart had slowed somewhat, which was bringing her a sense of relief, and she was grateful that Lena was so comfortable being close to her. On the other hand, Kara herself was beginning to feel nervous with their proximity. Lena was literally hanging on her, and Kara wasn't quite sure how to process this. The closest she had to this in the past ten years was her own daughter, and that was _quite_ a different situation.

"Lena…" Kara whispered softly, reaching up and instinctively running her fingers through the woman's dark locks of hair.

"Yes?"

"You're beautiful. I hope you know that."

A tint rising to her cheeks, Lena looked away, shook her head, and said, "No. But thank you."

"Hush," Kara protested, lifting Lena's chin with one finger. "Look at me for a minute."

Squirming uncomfortably in her seat, Lena tried to keep Kara's gaze, but found herself exceedingly embarrassed by the compliment.

"I mean it," Kara told her. "You're stunning. Thank you for inviting me into your life. And your home."

"I…" Lena tried, but when Kara smiled at her, she melted, nearly forgetting about the fiasco with the flowers. "I truly enjoy your company, Kara."

"Can… Can I kiss you?" the hero asked shyly, looking into Lena's green eyes.

"I think we're past the point of asking, don't you?"

"I don't… I don't want to assume," Kara told her, biting down on her lower lip.

"Assume away. I can't imagine a moment where I wouldn't want to kiss you, Kara."

Mouth hanging open, Kara tried to speak, but found herself unable to do so.

"I…"

"Maybe… Maybe I shouldn't have said that just yet…" Lena sighed, scooting away and looking down.

"No!" Kara cried. "No. Please, always say what you're thinking. Above everything else, I appreciate honesty and genuineness. And… I… I feel the same way. I don't even want to imagine a day where I can't kiss you anymore."

Lena stared, not believing what she'd heard.

"Am I… Am I moving too fast?" the brunette asked suddenly. "I really don't want to mess this up or worse, make you uncomfortable."

"You're not," the hero assured her.

"To which?"

"All of the above. You're not moving too fast for me, you're not messing this up, and you're not making me uncomfortable."

Anxiously, Lena asked, "Are you sure?" When Kara nodded and offered her an encouraging smile, she leaned in and whispered, "Then… please kiss me."

Kara obliged, pressing their lips together slowly. They moved in time with each other, until Lena's tongue slowly darted out and touched Kara's lower lip. In unison, their stomachs turned, feeling the intimacy of the moment.

When they finally pulled away, several moments later, Kara told Lena, "You are, by far, my dear… the best kisser in the universe."

"Universe, huh? Then you've been to other planets?"

Kara instantly turned a deep shade of red, wanting to slap herself for her choice of words, but fighting the impulse to do so.

"Maybe," she teased, trying to laugh it off and cover up the fact that she had, in fact, been to several other planets.

"Well, then… as much as I'd hate to think of you kissing ladies on other planets… or even this one… I'm glad to hear I'm the best you've had."

"You are," Kara assured her, touching her cheek and kissing her one last time. "I should really get going, though. Alex is probably worried."

Right on cue, Kara's phone went off. The irony of the century.

The text message made it clear that Alex was, as Kara had feared, worried about her.

' **Everything okay, champ?'**

After sending a reassuring text in reply, Kara turned back to Lena.

"Can I bring you coffee again tomorrow?" she asked, looking like a puppy hoping for a treat.

Lena smiled and nodded, saying, "I'd love that. I hate to see you go, though."

"You know I have to, hun."

Again, Lena nodded her understanding and told Kara, "I know. Will you… Will you text me, though? To let me know you got home safe?"

Kara almost had to laugh at this. There was next to nothing that could take her down, so she felt relatively confident that she would make it 'home safe.'

Still, she agreed, "I will. I promise." Then, after one last kiss, she said, "Goodnight, Lena," and stood up, gathering her jacket and reluctantly leaving the apartment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, a couple of things. First, I am so, so sorry for what I'm about to do with Sam Arias. I have created a monster and I almost regret it, but it does suit the story's purpose so... it is what it is. Please hang in there with me! Secondly, thank you all who read and comment each week. You fuel my mojo and keep me writing! Your kind words make me the writer I am. Lots of love.


	8. Chapter 8

"How'd it go?" Alex asked her sister, as soon as she saw Kara in the doorway.

Thankfully, Alura was long asleep in her bed.

"It was… different."

"How so?"

"Her ex is stalking her."

"Ouch."

"Yeah. Seriously. So… We had a great conversation this morning, but when I met her after school, I found her crying. Apparently, this girl had flowers delivered to the school… _and_ her apartment."

"Geez."

"Yeah. And get this… She has a restraining order against her."

"Oh, shit," Alex breathed. "What are you gonna do? Are you sure you want to get involved with—"

"Whoa. I'm not bailing on her just because her ex is a psycho. I'm just… going… to solve the problem."

"Pardon me?"

"I'm going to solve the problem," Kara repeated with a shrug.

"Kara…"

"I can't stand to see her hurting. Alex, she was terrified walking home."

"Aww, you walked her home! How sweet!" Alex teased, nudging her sister's side.

"Of course I walked her home. She was scared. Besides, why else would I be here so late?"

"Good point. Anyway… You get laid, finally?"

"WHOA," Kara said loudly. "Pump the breaks. First of all, that's none of your business. Second of all… no."

"Damn. I was hoping. You need a lay _bad._ "

"Alex!"

Her sister burst out laughing, flopping down on the couch and holding her stomach.

"Oh, God, that's funny!"

"Shut the fuck up," Kara warned her, scowling.

"Dude, I'm just saying! You haven't had a _good_ lay since… well… ever."

The harder Alex laughed, the more intensely Kara could feel her anger rising to her cheeks, making them red from fury.

"If you don't stop, I'm going to kick your ass out."

"I was leaving anyway."

"Great."

With a heavy, exaggerated sigh, Alex sat up, finally looking serious, and retorted, "I was kidding. I wanted to hear about the date."

"Well, isn't that too bad?"

Still scowling, Kara crossed her arms.

"Kara. Come on. I was kidding. Besides…"

"Don't say it."

"It's true!"

"ALEX!"

"Oh, come on, hun. Don't deny it. Besides, you're already completely in love with this girl."

"I'm… I'm n-not—"

"Yes, you are."

"Alex. Enough."

"Would you just get over yourself and admit that this is the first time you've ever been this happy? I can see it all over your face when you talk about her."

" _Ugh_ ," Kara huffed, sitting down on the couch next to her sister. "I _hate_ when you're right."

"I don't!" Alex cried with a grin. "And I'm _always_ right."

"Bullshit," the hero laughed.

"Not really. You're head over heels."

"If you don't stop—"

Then, a sleepy voice from around the corner squeaked, "Mom?"

"Alura! What are you doing up?" Kara gaped. "Get back in bed!"

"But I wanna hear about Lena!"

"Alura—"

"I heard you say you're in love with her!"

"I didn't say that!" Kara protested, throwing her hands up. "You guys are never going to let up, are you?"

"Did you guys kiss again?"

"Alura! Go. To. Bed!"

"Not until you tell me!"

With a sigh, Kara got up off the couch and lifted her daughter into her arms. Once she'd carried Alura to the bedroom and laid her on the bed, she tucked her in and kissed her forehead.

"I love you, you know that?" Kara asked softly, stroking her daughter's hair back.

"And you love Lena too!"

"If you don't stop, I'm going to ground you," the girl's mother said firmly.

"Fine. FINE. Just don't mess it up."

"It went well, okay? That's all I'm saying."

Alura, hardly satisfied with this inadequate amount of information, huffed loudly and rolled onto her side, away from her mother.

"Don't be like that," Kara sighed. "Please."

"Go away."

"Give me a hug and I will."

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because you never tell me anything!"

"You're ten!"

"And?"

"And you don't need to know grown up things."

"It's not a grown-up thing! They kiss in Disney movies! You guys are gonna be prince and princess and get married and live—"

"Alright," her mother laughed, shaking her head. "Enough out of you."

"Just _tell me._ "

" _Okay,_ " Kara blurted, exasperated. "Yes, we kissed again."

"Was it perfect?"

Rolling her eyes, the hero answered, "Yes. Yes, it was. Are you happy now?"

"When are you guys getting married?"

"ALURA!" the woman shouted. "It doesn't work like that!"

"Well, hurry up! I want another mom!"

"You're impossible. Give me a hug and go to sleep."

Scowling, Alura did allow Kara to hug her before she left the room.

~!~!~

Back in the living room, Alex waited anxiously for her sister's return, full of questions and curiosity.

"Well? Did you kiss?" Alex pressed with a grin, as soon as Kara returned.

Rolling her eyes again, Kara confessed, "Yes, and it was perfect. Which is what I just told my daughter. I hope you're satisfied and will _shut the hell up_ now."

"Hardly. I want all the dirty details!"

"She's a good kisser!"

Rubbing her hands together with excitement, Alex blurted, "I'm so happy for you!"

"Alex, this is just—"

"You guys are gonna get married and live happily ever after!"

"Oh, my _God!_ You're just as bad as Alura!"

"Whatever," Alex laughed. "Anyway, what are you doing about the stalker chick? In all seriousness."

Shrugging, Kara replied, "Supergirl is going to put her in her place."

"Kara… You can't use your suit to bully people…"

"It's not bullying!" the blonde cried. "She's the one doing the stalking! It's not okay! And someone has to stop her. Why not me? No one else is doing anything, and she won't go to the cops. She's scared!"

Biting her lip, Alex finally nodded and said, "Maybe you're right. But listen… Don't hurt her, okay?"

"I won't hurt her… much."

"Kara."

Huffing in protest, her sister crossed her arms and glared as she said, "I do what I want."

It was Alex's turn to roll her eyes.

"You're so full of it. You're not gonna hurt her, even if you want to. We both know that."

"If she hurts Lena, Alex… I'll blow her into the next galaxy. In atom form."

"Kara…"

"I mean it, Alex. If she hurts Lena, I will fucking kill her."

"Kara, that's not you."

"I can't make promises about what I'd do. The same can be said for you and Alura. If anyone hurts my family…"

"Alright. Alright. Take a deep breath, okay? Because you're getting really worked up. Your face is even getting red."

"I don't care!" Kara shouted. 'I'll—"

"Okay. Kara. Really. You're gonna wake your daughter, and then we're both in trouble, okay? So… please. Just. Breathe. Sit down with me."

Taking a slow, steady breath – even the thought of Lena or her family getting hurt had shaken her – Kara sat down next to Alex and leaned on her shoulder.

"It's gonna be okay," Alex promised her. "Just be careful, okay? I don't want you to do something that you regret later. I'm… I'm kind of in support of intimidating her a little bit, since your girl is uncomfortable going to the cops… but that's it. Don't take it too far. Okay?"

"No promises," the hero repeated, not lifting her head, causing Alex to sigh. "Wait… She's not 'my girl.'"

"Sure, she is."

"No, she's not. We haven't agreed to go steady or be exclusive or anything. I just… really, really care about her."

"You're _stupid_ in love right now. Did you just hear yourself? You just told me you'd blow this other girl into atoms if she hurt Lena."

"Okay, maybe I did say that… but still."

"The denial really doesn't look good on you, Kara. Eventually, you're gonna have to suck it up and deal with the fact that you're in love."

"This is like a bad live-action version of Hercules," Kara sighed. "I'm about to start singing 'I Won't Say I'm in Love.'"

Bursting out laughing at the hilarious truth of this statement, Alex wrapped her arms around her sister and hugged her tightly, saying, "I love you, Kara."

"I love you too," her sister sighed, rubbing her eyes.

Alex didn't let go.

"Take care of yourself."

"I will."

"Promise?"

"Yes."

"Good. You should get some sleep now. It sounds like you've had a pretty trying day."

With a nod, Kara hugged her sister again and agreed to go to bed. As soon as Alex left for the night and her head hit the pillow, Kara fell asleep.

~!~!~

It didn't take much sleuthing for Kara to find out exactly who Lena's ex was and what the charges had been against her. And it wasn't what she expected. Rather than simple stalking, the restraining order detailed domestic violence. As soon as she read this in the police report, Kara felt her hands clench tightly into fists. What made it worse? This girl was a former law enforcement officer. No wonder Lena didn't want cops involved.

"Fuck," she hissed to herself. "I'm gonna kill this bitch."

Kara wasted absolutely no time changing into her super suit and using her X-Ray vision to hunt down Sam Arias, the perpetrator of physical violence against Lena. Sam was staying late at work, Kara assumed, as she was in an office building late at night. Using heat vision to melt the lock on the front door to the office, Supergirl flew to Sam's location and landed as menacingly as possible in front of the woman, shocking her literally out of her seat.

"Sit _down_ ," Supergirl growled, glaring deeply.

The woman's mouth hung open for a while after immediately sitting back down in her office chair.

"W-What do you want?" she stammered.

Supergirl almost laughed, but instead simply smirked darkly. With her enhanced hearing, she could tell the woman's heart was palpitating fiercely, which was exactly what Kara wanted.

"You know a friend of mine," Supergirl said forebodingly. "And I happen to know that you've been stalking her. I'd really hate for you to go to jail for violating a restraining order. Or worse… melted into atoms by my heat vision. So… if you want to avoid that fate… I suggest you back off and stay the fuck away from her. Is that blatantly clear?"

"You can't tell me what to do! And you can't even prove it!"

"Your fingerprints were on the card you left on the flowers, Miss Arias, and forensics can easily match the handwriting to yours."

"Listen—"

"No. _You_ listen. You take one more step anywhere close to her direction and I will _melt_ you."

Swallowing hard, the woman nodded her head and continued to look terrified.

"Say it."

"I-I understand," Sam stammered.

"Good. Now, stay the fuck away from her." Then, after a pause, Supergirl added, "That's all. You can keep working now."

With that, Supergirl was gone.


	9. Chapter 9

"Are you alright?" Kara asked anxiously into the phone, as soon as Lena answered her call that night.

"Yeah, I'm okay. Why do you ask, sweetheart? Are you alright?"

For a moment, Kara forgot why she'd called. Lena had just called her 'sweetheart.'

"I, um… Yeah, no. I mean, yes. Yes, I'm alright. I just… got… a weird feeling and felt worried and wanted to hear your voice."

The silence on the other end of the line made Kara's heart stop.

"That was weird, wasn't it?" she asked, feeling heat rise to her cheeks.

"N-No, I… I just… No one's ever worried or cared about me like that before and I…. just… it…"

"I didn't mean to scare you. I just… randomly panicked?"

It wasn't quite the truth, but it wasn't exactly a lie, either. She was panicked. She didn't have to tell Lena it was because she had metaphorically poked the bear.

"I want to see you. I tried to go to sleep early, but I can't shut my head off. I can't stop thinking."

"I feel the same way."

"You tried to sleep too?"

"No, Lena… I can't stop thinking. It's just… more like daydreaming for me."

"What do you mean?" the teacher asked gently, slightly confused as to where Kara was going with this.

"I can't stop thinking about _you_ , Lena. About wanting to hold you. To kiss you. To keep you safe."

"God, Kara… You sure know how to make a girl melt…"

The hero couldn't help but smile at this, her heart swelling from the flattery. It wasn't necessarily the compliment that had her fazed. It was the fact that it was coming from Lena Luthor, charmer extraordinaire.

"Kara?" Lena prompted. "You okay?"

"Huh? Oh, yes. I. Um. I was… well… I was thinking about your lips."

"Kara… Don't be so sweet."

"I miss you, Lena."

"Do you want to come over?"

Kara's breath hitched, thinking about being back on Lena's couch, kissing her lips.

"I can't, honey… I'd love to, but I can't. Someone's got to watch Alura, and it's too last minute to ask Alex to come over." Kara sighed, then suddenly found the lightbulb in her head lighting up with an idea, so she offered, "Hey… Do _you_ want to come over? I'm sure Alura would love to see you, and I miss you terribly, so…"

"Isn't it past her bedtime?"

"Of course it is. She's in bed already. But if she hears that door open, she'll be up in a heartbeat. She's a light sleeper," Kara chuckled. "She'll die when she finds out you're here. And then _you_ can do the honors of getting her hyper ass to settle down."

"I do that enough in class, thank you very much," Lena laughed. "At home, it's your turn."

"Hey! She's not in your class anymore! So, technically… Your turn!" Then, when Kara realized that she'd accidentally implied that Lena had an obligation to co-parent, she quickly blurted, "I didn't mean—"

"Alright. Fair enough. I'm in!" the teacher said cheerfully.

Kara could hear the smile she was wearing in her voice and felt relief embrace her.

"I'll catch a cab."

Kara agreed, "Alright. Hurry up and get your beautiful butt over here!"

"Aww," the brunette giggled. "You called my ass beautiful."

"Uhh… I…"

"You're blushing, aren't you!?"

"Of course I am!" Kara huffed, exasperated. "Just get here, okay? I miss your face."

"And my butt."

"Lena!"

"Alright, alight. I'm coming. Give me like twenty minutes."

"Twenty minutes? Lena, it's five minutes up the road."

"I need to change!"

Rolling her eyes, the Kryptonian laughed, "You don't _need_ to change. You look beautiful."

"How do you know?"

"Because you always do. Just get here, honey."

"I'll hurry."

"See you soon."

"Yep! Can't wait!"

With that, Lena ended the call.

Rather than knocking at the door, Lena texted Kara when she arrived at her apartment, so as not to wake her daughter. Kara nearly leapt off the couch to answer the door, nearly stumbling into the coffee table in the process. Although she tried to open the front door quietly, she immediately used her super hearing to listen to check on her daughter and heard the sound of the girl's heart quickening as she woke from sleep.

She would've sighed in frustration, but the sight of Lena's smiling face made her forget the feeling instantly.

"Lena," she breathed. "You look beautiful. Why did you—"

Silenced by Lena's lips, Kara felt her heart leap in her chest. Only when Lena pulled away did she remember to breathe.

"That was quite the hello," the hero laughed.

Lena laughed too and kissed Kara's cheek before asking, "May I come in, my dear?"

Kara nodded and took several steps backwards to let the woman pass, offering, "Of course. Please."

As soon as they turned around, Alura was standing behind them, startling them both as she shouted, "Lena! Hi!"

"Hey!" Kara snapped. "That's 'Miss Luthor' to you, kid! Show her some respect."

"But—"

"No, no. It's alright, honey," Lena chuckled, placing her hand lightly on Kara's forearm. "She can call me Lena. We've officially switched her classroom. I'm not her teacher anymore."

Looking apprehensive, Kara bit her lip. Heart melting at the sight of Lena leaning down and placing a kiss at the top of her daughter's head, she smiled and sat down on the couch.

"Back to bed, sweetheart," Lena whispered, ruffling the girl's blonde locks of hair that matched her mother's perfectly.

"But I want—"

"Come on, honey. Let's go. I'll tuck you in," Alura's former teacher offered her with a smile.

Grinning, Alura took Lena's hand and pulled her into her bedroom where she scrambled beneath the blankets.

Kara followed them, standing in the doorway, but Lena shooed her away, saying, "Go relax, darling. I've got this."

Raising her eyebrows in surprise, Kara allowed the two their privacy and went back into the living room where she sat back down on the couch.

"Hey, Lena?" Alura asked, as soon as her mother was gone.

"Yes, sweetie?" Lena replied with a smile, stroking the girl's hair back as her head hit the pillow.

"Are you gonna marry my mom?"

Eyes wide with shock from the forwardness of the question, Lena stared at Alura for several long moments before stammering, "I… Alura… I, um… Your mom… We…"

"Does that mean no?" Alura asked sadly, frowning.

"No, it doesn't mean no, honey," Lena sighed, taking the girl's hand in her own. "It means we have to wait and see where things go."

"Why do grown-ups always do that?!" Alura nearly shouted.

"Do what, sweetie?"

"Why do grown-ups always say 'maybe?' Maybe just means no!" the girl cried, eyes watering.

"Come here," Lena sighed, sitting down on the bed and lifting the girl up slightly until she was holding her against her chest. "Alura. I care deeply for your mother. _And_ I care deeply for you. I want you to know that. And please… listen to me when I say, it doesn't mean no. It honestly means what I said it means. It means we just don't know. I can't predict the future, honey. Okay? That's all that means. I don't even know if your mom—"

"She does! She wants—"

"Alura," Lena warned gently. "I think you should get some sleep, okay? I'll come say hi to you tomorrow, if you want."

"You mean you're not staying the night?"

"Alura…"

"Mom wants you to stay."

"Alright. Enough of that, sweetheart. Get some sleep and we'll talk tomorrow."

"Can't you stay? Then we could have breakfast with each other!"

Sighing softly, Lena tugged Alura gently back into her arms and rocked her just slightly, enough to lull the girl into a daze that brought her back to dreamland.

Sitting on the bed, holding Kara's daughter against her chest as she slept, Lena couldn't help but feel her heart aching as she thought about what the girl had said. Marriage. To _Kara._ Lena blushed at the thought, shutting her eyes and seeing the two of them at the altar, with Alura beside them offering them the rings. Feeling her heart swell further at the idea of it, Lena was suddenly gripped with an unwanted fear: the fear of this scene never happening. The fear that the the answer to Alura's question was no. She'd never thought so seriously about marriage before, and although she and Kara had just started whatever this was, the woman's daughter had her thinking much further in the future than she would have liked.

She didn't realize how much time had passed, until she noticed that Kara had appeared in the doorway, wearing a smile.

Falling further and further in love with Lena as she watched the woman holding her sleeping daughter, Kara felt her own heart throbbing painfully in her chest. _What if I mess this up?_ she worried. _What if I blow it? What if she leaves?_

Then, in a powerful revelation, Kara decided to be brave. She decided to let go of her inhibitions about love and allow Lena to take hold of her heart in the way that no one ever had before. She decided to take a chance.

Approaching slowly, the hero stood beside Lena and kissed the top of her head, running her fingers through her hair. Shutting her eyes briefly, Lena fully immersed herself in the moment, allowing herself to simply be happy.

She opened her eyes again a moment later when Kara gave a gentle tug on the strap of her dress, a silent request for Lena to join her in the other room.

Carefully, Lena slowly lowered Alura back onto the bed, resting her head on the pillow. Thankfully, she didn't wake as the teacher gently slipped away to follow Kara out of the room.

Once sitting on the couch again, Kara confessed quietly, "I missed you too much to share any more."

Lena had to cover her mouth to keep herself from laughing. The hero leaned in slowly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, lips hovering close, which wiped the smile off the teacher's face almost instantly.

"Kara…" the brunette whispered, her own green eyes meeting Kara's blues.

"I missed you," Kara repeated.

Smile returning, Lena kissed Kara's lips and told her softly, "I missed you too, goober. It's getting later than I thought, though… I should let you sleep."

"Tomorrow's Saturday. I don't have to work . Also, I don't need sleep when I have the adrenaline of your kiss keeping me awake…"

Blushing, Lena shook her head and chuckled lightly, "You're too much, Miss Danvers."

Ignoring this, the Kryptonian leaned in and pressed their foreheads together, just breathing in the woman's scent as she savored the moment they were sharing.

"Don't go, Lena," Kara finally sighed. "I can't stand to see you leave."

Raising an eyebrow slightly in interest, the teacher asked, "I… You really… We should get some sleep."

"Okay… So… I'll crash on the couch. You can take the bed. Just… Please, Lena. Don't leave me…"

The pleading tone in Kara's voice made Lena's walls melt, and as she took the woman's hands and looked into her eyes, she whispered, "Are you really asking me to stay the night?"

"Yes," Kara sighed. "I'd never pressure you to sleep in the same bed as me. I know that's too fast. I'm not suggesting that. I just… would love to have you here when I wake."

"So… You… _don't_ want to share a bed?" Lena asked, her tone suddenly low and surprisingly seductive as she slid a hand over each of Kara's thighs.

Eyes wide with shock, Kara stared at Lena for a long moment, saying nothing.

"L-Lena…" she finally managed, when the woman's intense stare didn't break or subside.

That was when Lena finally dropped her gaze and looked away, mumbling, "Sorry. Fuck, that was stupid. I should go, Kara. I—"

"No, wait!" Kara cried, a little louder than she'd wanted to, grabbing Lena's hand firmly in her own. " _Please._ Don't leave me, Lena."

"Okay, okay. But I'm taking the couch. There's no way I'm kicking you out of your bed."

Kara bit her lip. Did Lena really want to share the bed, though? That seemed to be what she had suggested. But…

"Do you really want to share a bed with me?" she asked shyly.

Lena bit her lip too and shrugged her shoulders, saying, "It was a stupid thought. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have suggested it."

"Hey… Lena?"

"Yes?"

"I like when you're bold like that…"

Once again raising an eyebrow, Lena told her, "Then I'll be bold again. Yes, I want to sleep beside you."

"Okay."

"Okay?"

"Okay. I have some sweatpants you can wear. And a T-shirt."

Lena kissed Kara's hand, wearing a broad smile, and rose from the couch, saying with a wink, "Then I think it's bedtime, Miss Danvers."


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Buckle up, people. It's about to get heated ;)

"I look silly," Lena pouted, once she'd reappeared from the bathroom wearing her partner's loose-fitting T-shirt and a pair of sleep shorts.

"You look _hot,_ " Kara blurted, staring.

There was something incredibly sexy about the sight of Lena wearing her clothes and looking so casual. It was far from her regular style, which was more refined and form-fitting.

"D-Don't be ridiculous," Lena stammered. Then, noticing that Kara was wearing a similar outfit – and that she looked fabulous in it – the teacher added, "But _you_ …"

"But me what?"

"But you look… so sexy…"

"Lena!" Kara cried, covering her face. "Stoppp!"

"You started it!" Lena protested with a huff.

"You know what?" Kara snapped. "Get your ass over here!"

With that, the hero sat down on the bed, grabbed Lena by the hips, and jerked her closer before tickling her sides, making Lena cover her mouth to block the sound of her own laughter.

When Kara took a short break in her assault on Lena's ribs, the teacher hissed, "Shh! You're going to wake the kid!"

Grinning, Kara whispered, "I win, princess."

"Hardly!"

Lena's hands were instantly at Kara's sides, tickling her ribs in return. Kara's eyes went wide as she gasped in surprise then covered her mouth. Clearly loving the reaction she was getting, Lena pushed Kara back onto the bed and boldly straddled her lap, her own inhibitions fading. She continued to tickle her, beaming proudly as Kara squirmed beneath her and struggled to hold back her laughter.

Finally, realizing she wasn't going to be able to silence her laughter much longer, Kara reached out with lightening reflexes and grabbed Lena's wrists to hold her still, hissing, "Enough, you!"

"Guess _I_ win then."

The smug grin on Lena's face sent an unmistakable tingle down Kara's spine, making her bite her lip as she looked up at Lena, whose body was still resting on her thighs.

"Okay," Kara agreed.

Not because she couldn't have overpowered Lena, but because she knew she'd never want to.

"Kara…" Lena whispered. "Kiss me."

Sitting up slowly as her own heart raced, Kara slid her hands slowly up Lena's sides and pulled her closer before connecting their lips in a slow, deep kiss.

The muffled moan that bubbled up in Lena's throat was the last thing Kara was expecting, so when she heard it, her heart stopped, and to her horror, she felt the no-longer-familiar sensation of heat coiling in her stomach.

"Lena… We need to stop," she told the woman breathlessly.

Looking hurt, Lena conceded, "Okay."

Seeing the look of pain on her face, Kara sighed and said, "Lena… I just… I don't want to rush anything, and…"

"Do you not want me?"

"Lena! Of course I want you! It's just… It's been so long… and I don't know what the fuck I'm doing. And… we just… I… I don't want to push or rush or—"

"You're right," Lena agreed, biting down on her lip and looking away. "Let's get some sleep."

Slowly dismounting her partner, Lena crawled to the middle of the bed and wiggled beneath the covers.

"I'm glad you're here," the blonde said softly, touching Lena's hand as she followed suit and let her head rest on the pillow as she stared up at the ceiling. "This is really new to me, and I just… I'm sorry."

"Please, don't be sorry," Lena urged her. "It's really okay, and I understand. You need to go slow, and I respect that."

"Thank you, Lena," Kara sighed. "You truly are perfection, do you know that, princess?"

Blushing, Lena pulled her hand away and shoved the hero's shoulder playfully as she protested, "Hardly. Now, hush, you. Get some sleep. It's super late."

After bidding each other goodnight and sharing a particularly chaste kiss, the two turned out the lights and shut their eyes.

Lena was asleep almost instantly, but the heat in Kara's core hadn't subsided in the slightest, and it was keeping her awake. Not to mention, her heart was still racing. Lena Luthor was in bed with her, and she'd just turned down what seemed like a suggestion that it would have been okay to go further and take the next step in their relationship. But Kara wasn't ready for that. What if things went bad? _I should keep my shit together and take things easy_ , Kara told herself. _Feel things out before taking the leap._

But the more she tried to convince herself that waiting was the right decision, the hotter her core became as she thought about the beautiful woman beside her beneath the sheets.

About fifty minutes passed like that, with the hero simply trying to calm her body and her heartrate, until Lena wiggled in her sleep and rolled over into Kara's side, draping her arm over Kara's torso.

 _Oh, God,_ Kara thought. _This is happening. She's really here._

"Kara," Lena mumbled, making Kara nearly leap out of the bed, as she was startled by the surprise that Lena was actually awake.

"Y-Yes, love," the blonde stammered, reaching up to slowly stroke Lena's long locks of hair.

"It's hot."

"Do you want me to turn on the AC?"

Lena shook her head and mumbled, "Take my shirt off. I'm too tired to move."

"W-What?"

"Please? I won't do anything. I promise. But… please. I'm soaked in sweat."

"It's not that warm in here…"

"You're a fucking radiator, Miss Danvers. Your skin feels like an oven heating coil."

Blushing and realizing that her temperature did run hot, Kara told her softly, "If you really want to, you can…"

"No," Lena protested. "You."

"Lena… I…"

"Please, Kara. I'm dying. I won't even move."

"O-O-kay."

Slowly, Kara sat up as Lena rolled onto her back. Carefully, Kara used one hand to lift Lena off the bed and the other to slide the woman's shirt up over her head. As soon as she saw Lena's perfect breasts in the moonlight streaming in from the bedroom window, Kara's breath hitched in her chest.

"Oh, fuck," she breathed, sliding her hands down the brunette's sides and feeling the smoothness of her bare skin beneath her fingertips.

"What?" Lena mumbled, rubbing her eyes before draping her arms around Kara's neck for support.

"You… You're… so, _so_ beautiful, Lena…"

Waking up slightly, Lena's eyes opened the rest of the way as she looked at Kara and took in the appearance of shock all over the woman's face. She couldn't help but smirk at the blonde's reaction.

"You like what you see, babe?"

Kara let out an involuntary whimper at the teasing question, then bit down hard on her lower her lower lip to silence herself. The smile Lena was wearing was making her insides turn.

"Lena…"

"I know you want to take it slowly," Lena said softly, "but I hope you know how fucking badly I want you right now."

Feeling her mouth go dry, Kara stared, eyes darting from Lena's lips to her chest.

"You can touch me, if you want," Lena offered. "It doesn't have to go further."

"I s-should… I, um… You should rest…"

Lena's hand reached out slowly, her thumb stroking Kara's cheek as her warm, inviting smile continued to heat her partner's core.

"If you insist, my love."

Easing herself back down onto the bed, Lena found the pillow and shut her eyes, leaving Kara still sitting up, blatantly staring.

"I know you're still looking," Lena teased, not opening her eyes. "Lie down."

"Are you cooler now?" Kara asked shyly.

"Yes, ma'am. Now, why don't you hush and shut your eyes too?"

Reluctantly, Kara laid herself back down and tried to shut her eyes but found herself doing everything she could to look away from Lena. This resulted in her attention returning to the ceiling. Then, unable to remove the image of Lena's supple breasts from her mind, Kara found her head turning quite involuntarily to face the woman beside her. Taking in the sight of Lena's breasts again made the hero's stomach turn and sent an emotion she felt was almost like fear through her entire body. Watching Lena breathe, Kara rolled onto her side, facing her partner, and allowed herself for the first time to truly take in the magnificence of the woman's toned figure.

Lips parting, the hero nearly whispered Lena's name, but no sound came out. In a daze where she felt more than terrified of the lack of control she had over her own body, Kara reached out and placed her hand flat over Lena's hip. When she slid her hand up the woman's ribs slowly, Lena let out a soft hum of approval, and Kara noticed her lips curling into a subtle smile.

Slowly, Kara's hand traced small swirls up and down her skin, until finally, she could feel goosebumps beneath her fingertips.

"Lena," the hero finally whispered.

"Yes, love," Lena whispered back breathlessly, not opening her eyes.

"Are you sure it's okay if I—"

"Please."

Sucking in a shaky breath, Kara let her hand slide north, over the mound of Lena's right breast, her palm rubbing over the pert nipple there as it moved.

" _Ahh_ ," the brunette hissed, feeling the soft friction of Kara's careful hand on her breast.

"You're so beautiful," Kara sighed, her hand pausing and resting in place. "So, _so_ beautiful."

"Your hands are so soft…"

"Are they?"

Eyes opening slowly, Lena nodded her head and looked up at Kara, who was staring directly at her lips, without moving her hand.

" _Yes_ ," the hero's partner breathed. "Please… Come here and let me hold you."

Kara couldn't help but smile at this. Lena wanted her closer. That meant she hadn't messed things up yet. So, with slightly more confidence, Kara wiggled close to Lena and rested her head on the woman's shoulder, her hand sliding to the further breast and staying there.

"You feel so good against me, Kara," Lena murmured.

"I'm so glad you stayed," the hero confessed in reply.

There was nothing she wanted more than to be in that moment forever.

"And I'm so glad you let me share the bed," the teacher giggled, running her fingers through Kara's long blonde locks of hair.

"I don't think I ever want to sleep alone again…"

"We'll get you a teddy bear," Lena teased, pressing her lips to the top of Kara's head.

Frowning, Kara sat up and looked down at her partner, telling her, "No one could fill your place in my life."

"Kara…"

"I mean it. I know it hasn't been long, but Lena… You're more than I ever could have dreamed of."

"Don't be such a sap," the brunette protested half-heartedly, forcing herself to laugh. "I'm nothing special."

"You are so, _so_ special, Lena Luthor," Kara assured her. "You're the first person since Alura's birth to make my heart race like this, and you're the first person ever to make me feel… so… whole. Please don't minimize that. I know whatever we have is just starting, but… I have to be honest and up front with you, Lena. No one's ever made me feel like you do."

Soaking in the gravity of the woman's words, Lena went silent as she looked up into the hero's piecing blue eyes.

"Say something?" the blonde pleaded, sounding as anxious as she felt.

"I feel the same," Lena confessed. "I've never felt so complete."

Wearing a satisfied and flattered smile, Kara leaned over and kissed her partner's lips, running her fingers through the woman's hair with her left hand and giving Lena's breast a gentle squeeze with her right.

"Easy, tiger," the teacher husked, stroking her partner's cheek. "Don't tempt me further."

Biting her lip, Kara stared into the woman's piercing eyes, which seemed to be sending out unmistakable waves of seduction. Kara knew Lena wasn't pressuring her. It was a gentle warning. But something in her couldn't stop herself. For far too long, the hero had been denying herself the simplest pleasures, sure that she wouldn't find her passion again. Lying in bed with the only woman who had ever made her feel this way, how could she resist now?

"Kara… Please, don't look at me like that," Lena whispered, startingly the blonde out of her daze.

"Like what?" she asked.

"Like you're… hungry…"

After a long pause, Kara drawled, "Maybe I am…"

It was a bold leap for her to take, and she surprised herself with the words that seemed to flow from her lips in a stream of adoration.

"Kara… I know you want to wait, so please… Don't tempt me."

"Maybe… Maybe I've changed my mind?" Kara said shyly.

"You don't sound sure," Lena noted, sensing the tone of a question in her words.

Clearing her throat, Kara finally took the leap and softly told her partner, "I want to."

Swooning and nearly unable to speak, but knowing she had to say _something,_ Lena asked, "Kara, are you sure? If you're not ready, it's really—"

But her partner silenced her with a heated kiss, giving her breast another, more teasing squeeze.

"Kara, wait—"

"Miss Lena Kieran Luthor… everything in me wants to make love to you."

"I—" Lena started, rendered unable to finish by the intense wave of adoration that flooded her.

"I'm ready to risk getting my heart broken to give it all to you," Kara interrupted her, "because I know you're worth it."

Lena failed to protest further, and Kara's super hearing allowed her to realize why: her heart was racing, slamming hard in her chest.

"It's okay," Kara whispered, pressing her lips gently to Lena's sweating forehead. "I've got you. I'm nervous too. It's been so long, and I—"

"Just take me," Lena ordered, offering a playful, sultry smile.

With a short nod, Kara locked their lips again and slid her hands up and down Lena's slides, pressing their hips together. As soon as Lena let out a soft moan of pleasure, Kara felt herself grow warm almost everywhere. The tingle that coiled in her stomach was unfamiliar but enticing, all spurred by the sounds her partner was making.

"Lena," Kara cooed, nuzzling the woman's neck tenderly as she groped her breasts. "Those sounds…"

"What sounds?" Lena whimpered. "I don't—"

But Kara's shaking hands were on her hips, sliding south, then over her thighs, making Lena's legs shake.

"You make the most _delicious_ sounds," the hero husked into Lena's neck, running her fingers through the woman's hair.

"K-Kara."

"Can I?" the blonde asked gently, just barely sliding her fingertips beneath the waistband of Lena's shorts.

As soon as Lena nodded, Kara took a slow, steadying breath and slid the shorts, along with the woman's lace panties, down past her ankles before repositioning herself between her legs. Once she was there, her fingers made their way to Lena's opening and made a paced, easy swipe between her folds.

Feeling the intense warmth of Kara's fingers, Lena let out an audible gasp.

"Wow…" Kara breathed. "You sure do feel ready for me, Miss Luthor."

"I am," Lena panted. "I am. Please. _Please_."

Gaining a burst of confidence from her partner's pleas, Kara dipped her fingers into Lena's sex and licked a stripe up her neck. This, of course, made the brunette's back arch off the bed, pressing her front against Kara's.

"Clothes off," Lena pleaded, tugging the fabric of Kara's shirt.

The hero obeyed immediately, stripping down to nothing before driving her knee up between Lena's thighs, earning a rewarding moan in return from the friction on Lena's core.

"Fuck," the brunette gasped. "Don't stop."

Smirking and filled with bravery, fueled by the sounds her lover was making, Kara kissed her hard and reached between her legs again, this time giving her clit the attention it so eagerly desired. When Lena let out a loud moan of shock, Kara quickly pressed their lips together, muffling the sounds with reluctance

.

"Shh, baby," Kara urged her. "You're gonna wake Alura."

But Lena, wanting to exact her revenge, pushed Kara away and plunged her fingers into Kara's core as soon as she was given the space to do so, making Kara nearly scream.

"Fuck!" Kara cried out, feeling Lena insert a second finger into the most intimate part of her body.

Everything inside her was electrified with heat, and Kara could tell that she was already unraveling. If she wasn't in love with this woman before, she certainly knew she was now.

"Fuck," the her repeated, rocking herself against Lena's hand, which was curling her fingers to stroke Kara's inner walls. "Lena. Baby girl. Please. Fuck."

"Easy," Lena whispered, taking full control. "I've got you. Let me make you feel good."

"But you—"

"Shh. You're going to wake Alura," the teacher teased, sporting a flirtatious grin.

Kara whined at this, feeling her thighs start to shake at the next movement of Lena's fingers inside her.

"Sh-Shit, L-Lena," the hero stammered, nearly collapsing as she tried to hold herself up.

She was strong enough to stay upright, of course, with her super strength, but the waves of pleasure that rocked her with every twitch of Lena's fingers made her whole body react in ways it never had before.

Then, before she could return her own attention to her partner's body, Kara's mouth fell open in a silent scream that took everything in her to quiet as her body vibrated. Walls contracting around Lena's slender fingers, Kara's silent scream melted into a high-pitched whimper as her core released its arousal all over Lena's digits and her orgasm shook her to her very center. The fluid dripped out of her sex and onto Lena's hand, and the brunette let out a satisfied hum as she felt her lover's arousal soaking her.

"That's it, baby," Lena whispered. "Cum for me."

And Kara did. Her walls clenched harder with every pulsing contraction of her muscles, until her body was crying out for more. At first, Lena didn't stop her movements, but when she saw tears streaming freely from Kara's eyes, she froze and removed her fingers from her lover's sex.

"Kara? Baby, what's wrong? Did I hurt you?" she asked anxiously, tenderly stroking the woman's arms.

Kara rapidly shook her head, frantically reaching up to wipe the tears away.

"Fuck. I'm s-sorry. I… I haven't… It's… I've never… I didn't mean to cry."

"Baby, it's—"

"I just felt so close to you," Kara choked out, rubbing fresh tears off her cheeks.

"I did too, honey," Lena promised, kissing Kara's forehead. "I did too."

They embraced, with Lena rubbing her back, until Kara's heartbeat started to slow and Lena was sure that she'd stopped crying.

"Are you okay?"

Kara nodded.

"Are you sure?"

Again, a nod.

"Do you… think you can you go a little more?"

Kara whimpered, feeling a shiver send a shock down her spine, and shook her head, feeling surprisingly exhausted from the effort of silencing her screams and attempting to calm her body and racing heartbeat, in addition to drying her tears of emotion.

Raising an eyebrow and curling her fingers experimentally once again, Lena smirked as Kara's hips rolled forward, pushing her down hard against Lena's hand and sinking the woman's fingers deeper into Kara's sex.

"Mhmm," Lena purred. "I thought so."

"N-No," Kara gasped. "I c-can't—"

"Do you want me to stop…?" the brunette asked teasingly, staring into Kara's tear-filled eyes with an intense smolder as she pushed her fingers up into Kara hard and curled them forward, fast and rough.

"L-Lena," the hero stammered, shaking her legs as her thighs started to shake again.

This, Lena was learning, was a tell-tale sign that Kara was going to cum, so she pushed in up to her knuckles and plunged her fingers rapidly in and out of the woman's core until Kara hiccupped a gasp and covered her own mouth to stop the scream of pleasure that was surely about to escape.

Watching lovingly with adoration as her lover squeezed her eyes shut tightly, Lena saw a few stray tears slip down Kara's cheeks. She wrote these off as caused by the intensity of Kara's orgasm – or so she hoped – and stopped her in-and-out movements, suddenly shifting back to curling her fingers. Kara bucked hard against Lena's expert hand, and the brunette responded by rubbing her thumb against Kara's swollen bud, without stopping the movements of her other fingers.

"C-Can't," Kara panted hard, briefly removing her hand from covering her mouth and rocking her hips forward and back in rhythm with Lena's rapid thrusts. "I'm gonna—"

"I know, baby girl," Lena whispered, reaching up with her free hand to stroke Kara's sweat-soaked hair out of her eyes. "Cum for me again."

" _Lena_ ," Kara whined, the sound of her name tumbling out like water down a stream.

She was beyond grateful that it hadn't come out as the scream she'd stifled earlier, given that she'd never, ever, in all her years, felt something so incredibly intense as the waves of electricity lighting up her body in that moment. To her shock, the waves kept coming as Lena's fingers and thumb refused to stop their living assault on her sex. Feeling like it would never end, Kara's body continued to shake and vibrate above Lena's, and her lover savored every shiver and whimper that her body produced.

"S-Stop," Kara blurted, finally feeling overly stimulated, to the point of slight discomfort.

"One more time," Lena pleaded, but Kara shook her head in protest.

"No," she said, hiccupping a breath. "Y-Your turn." Shakily, she dismounted, asking, "How do you want it, baby? I'll do anything."

"I'll _take_ anything," the brunette retorted quickly. "Anything from you."

"But what do you _want_ ," Kara whined.

"I…"

Kara took two fingers and slowly rubbed two circles around the swollen bud between Lena's legs, making the woman shiver violently beneath her touch.

"Wait," Lena breathed, stopping Kara's hand. "I'll cum too fast like that. I'm already close just from hearing and watching you…"

"R-Really?"

Lena nodded.

"Okay…" Kara conceded. "Then how?"

"Can I… Um…"

Tilting her head in confusion, Kara watched as her partner bit her lip and gently pushed on the hero's shoulders, easing her back onto the bed. Once Kara was in a laying position with her head on the pillows, Lena surprised her by straddling her thigh and slowly lowering herself onto it, until Kara could feel the hot, slick mess between her legs, dripping onto her skin.

" _Ughhh_ ," Kara groaned. "You're so fucking wet."

Blushing, Lena nodded and leaned forward, resting her hands on Kara's shoulders to steady herself as she rocked her hips forward slightly, testing the waters. She was compelled to let out a soft, involuntary gasp as she felt the slickness of her sex sliding against Kara's thigh. Then, Lena, though self-conscious about her own desires, found herself unable to stop herself from rocking herself forward again, building friction and heat at her apex.

"Lena," Kara sighed, reaching up to play with the woman's breasts. "You're so fucking beautiful."

Lena shook her head, so Kara reached down and gripped her thighs firmly, staring seriously into her eyes as she snapped, "Yes. You are. You're gorgeous."

"I'm not," Lena blurted, stopping her movements.

"Don't say that again," Kara growled, sitting up and pulling Lena into her arms to kiss her passionately.

Though Lena kissed back, she was hesitant and clearly self-conscious about her own body image.

"Don't make me hurt you, punk," Kara teased, nibbling playfully at Lena's neck.

But the hero didn't get the reaction she was expecting. In fact, the teacher shocked her by letting out a gasp and bucking her hips forward against her thigh.

"Oh, wow," the blonde breathed. "You like biting?"

But Lena could only whimper in reply as Kara gently pressed her teeth to the skin of her neck once more. Hearing this, Kara then bit down, slightly harder than before. In response to the slight sting of pain, Lena roughly grabbed Kara's hands and pressed them hard against her own thighs, silently pleading for Kara to be rough with her.

At first, the nervous Kryptonian didn't quite get the message, but when Lena forced her hands to curl, pressing her nails into the skin, Kara decided to experimentally drag her nails down the brunette's thighs. Lena nearly screamed and had to cover her mouth to block the sound, just as she had made Kara do before.

"Oh, my gosh," Kara gasped. "You _do_ like a little bit of pain."

Embarrassed to no end, Lena blushed brighter and bit down on her lip as she let out a whimper.

"It's so sexy when you do that," her lover told her, smirking and gaining more confidence by the minute.

"Please," Lena whined. "Don't tease. Just… hurt me."

Eyes wide at the forward request, Kara carefully dug her nails in, just slightly harder than before, making Lena gasp. The hero, nervous to go too hard and hurt her partner, stopped her movements to check in, but was surprised and reassured to find that Lena was resuming her movements against her thigh.

"That's it, honey," Kara urged her, scratching her thighs harder. "Keep going."

It didn't take Lena more encouragement that than to increase her force and speed against Kara's thigh. The heat and slickness were driving the hero mad, and in her passion, she bit down on the base of Lena's neck slightly harder than she's intended, making Lena cry out.

"Fuck, I'm sorry!" Kara gasped, immediately pulling away.

But Lena was rapidly shaking her head and scooting closer to Kara's body, rocking against her over and over as she gripped the hero's shoulders.

"Again," Lena begged.

Eyes wide, Kara obeyed, shocked by Lena's thirst for pain. Her response was reassuring, but loud, and both of them stopped immediately when it came out as a moan at high volume. Immediately, Kara clapped her hand over Lena's mouth and listened for any sound of her daughter waking down the hall. Luckily, she heard none, so she decided to urge Lena on by gripping her hips and moving her body against her, rocking Lena's hips back and forth, sliding her sex against her thigh until she felt a new wave of arousal coating her skin.

"Oooh, sweetheart," Kara cooed, pressing their foreheads together. "So wet for me."

Lena nodded and moved rapidly in time with her lover's pushes and pulls, before her head fell back, eyes falling shut, and her mouth fell open to match the silent scream that her partner had nearly uttered just minutes before.

"Fuck, yes," Kara hissed, intoxicated by Lena's response as she lifted her thigh slightly to give her lover more friction, making the woman rock harder.

"I'mgonnacum," Lena blurted, all in one syllable, as if it wouldn't come out as separate words.

"Please," Kara begged. "Cum for me, Lena."

"Kara," her lover gasped, moving hard as Kara continued to drive her knee up and give Lena a better angle of stimulation.

"Lena Kieran Luthor," the hero panted, placing kisses all over the woman's neck and chest. When Lena whimpered in response to her full name, Kara raised an eyebrow, surprised at the reaction she'd received, then repeated, "My sweet, sweet Lena Luthor."

Then, making Lena gasp louder than before, Kara reached down and rapidly rubbed circles over Lena's clit to help her along in her climax, which worked almost immediately.

"Kara!" Lena shouted, digging her nails into her lover's back and dragging her nails down as she tried to pull the woman closer, her core contracting and releasing in waves that made her whole body melt against her partner's.

"I've got you," Kara promised, supporting Lena's weight as the woman rode out the rest of her orgasm, not stopping her movements over and around Lena's sensitive clit.

Kara didn't still her fingers until Lena's breathing slowed, which took a surprisingly long amount of time, and she savored every minute of it.

"That was beautiful," Lena finally panted, her head dropping to Kara's shoulder.

"Yeah?" Kara asked shyly. "I wasn't sure if I would do well in bed, but… your reaction seemed to say I did alright…"

Rolling her eyes, Lena weakly lifted her head and told her partner, "If you ever doubt yourself, just remember that I nearly woke up your child from how hard you made me cum."

Grinning with satisfaction at this realization, Kara flopped back down on the bed, pulling Lena with her and holding their bodies together, despite the fact that they were sticky with sweat and cum.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not my best work, but hopefully you guys had fun ;)


	11. Chapter 11

Kara woke the next morning to the gentle squeeze of Lena's arms around her bare abdomen.

"Baby," Lena whispered. "We gotta get up. We've got work."

"What time is it?"

"It's four-thirty."

" _Ughhh_. Nooo."

"I don't have clothes. I gotta get home, honey."

"Don't go," Kara whined loudly, holding Lena against her chest.

"What, you had my pussy and now you can't let go?" Lena teased with a grin, wiggling away and sitting up slowly.

"What? No! I didn't want to let go to begin with…"

Looking a little surprised at the sweetness of her partner's words, Lena pressed her lips to Kara's forehead.

"I'll see you later, okay?"

" _When_ later?" Kara whimpered.

"Tonight. After dinner."

"Why after dinner?"

"Because you need to spend time with your family too, baby girl."

Kara shivered. Something about the pet name 'baby girl' sent little shocks through her body.

"I… I will. But can't you join us?"

"I don't want to interrupt your—"

"It's not interrupting if you're invited. Alex will be here tonight, and she should meet you…"

"Whoa," Lena blurted. "Meeting your sister? Isn't that a pretty big deal?"

Kara shrugged and mumbled, "Yeah, so?"

A broad smile spreading over her lips, Lena leaned in, kissed Kara's cheek, and told her, "So, I'd love to, and I'm flattered. And… kinda nervous."

"Nervous?" Kara chuckled. "Why?"

"What if Alex doesn't like me?"

"Firstly, Alura and I adore you. Secondly, so does Alex."

"What…? Alex has never—"

"I talk enough about you," Kara confessed, finally sitting up and rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"You… You do?"

"Of course I do, you goober."

Blushing, Lena hugged her partner tightly before sliding out of bed.

"Babe, don't—" the hero started to protest.

"I have to," Lena interrupted. "You know that, darling. You need to get ready for work anyway. You should also probably shower… Do you want me to wake the kiddo?"

"I'm sure she'd love that."

"Alright, honey. I'll kiss you goodbye once she's got breakfast."

"Wait, you don't have to get her—"

"Get in the shower, dirty girl."

With a wink and a smile, Lena disappeared into the hallway and headed for Alura's room.

"Good morning, sunshine," she called out, waking the sleeping girl. "Time to get up and get ready for school."

"LENA!" Alura screamed, upon rubbing her eyes and seeing that she wasn't dreaming. "You stayed! Can you stay every night?!"

"Up and at 'em, little princess. Time for breakfast. Want me to make you some eggs?"

Jumping out of the bed, Alura ran up to Lena and hugged her tightly, not letting go.

"Come on, sugar. You gotta eat something," Lena urged her.

Finally, Alura nodded, let go, and grinned broadly as she ran to the kitchen to show Lena where everything was located.

"Scrambled? Over easy?" the teacher asked brightly, pulling the eggs out of the fridge.

"Sunny side up!" Alura cried, clapping her hands. "Mom always makes me eat oatmeal. She says—"

"I say what?" Kara cut in, appearing fully dressed in the kitchen.

"You say we don't have time to make eggs."

"We don't," the girl's mother laughed, rolling her eyes and walking up behind Lena, who was leaning over the stove.

When Kara's arms slid around her, Lena nearly jumped, somewhat surprised by Kara's display of affection in front of Alura.

"H-Hi," she stammered, freezing momentarily as she stared down at the steaming pan heating up on the stove.

"It's very kind of you to make her eggs," the hero whispered, pressing a kiss to the woman's cheek from behind, without removing her arms from around her torso.

"What kind would you like, dear?" the teacher asked sweetly, turning around to look her partner in the eyes.

"Whatever you're making will be fine," Kara assured her, kissing her lips softly.

"You guys are in love!" Alura screeched, bouncing in her chair and clapping her hands.

"Quiet down, you," her mother warned.

Lena just laughed and shook her head, unable to wipe the smile off her face.

"You too!" Kara cried, playfully nudging the brunette.

When Lena didn't stop laughing, Kara huffed and stomped over to the table where she sat down with her arms crossed over her chest.

"Don't pout, honey," Lena chuckled. "It's alright."

"See? Mom's just mad cause she's in love."

"That makes no sense. Why would I—"

"Alright!" Lena cut in cheerfully. "Breakfast is ready!"

Alura grinned, and Kara rolled her eyes as they were served.

"Thank you, baby," the hero managed to say, her cheeks still tinted a particularly bright shade of pink.

"Yeah, Lena! Thank you! It looks amazing!"

"It's just eggs and toast, but you're welcome, sweethearts," the cook told them with a smile. "Enjoy."

"Aren't you going to eat?" Kara questioned, after taking a few hasty bites of her breakfast.

"I'll have a protein bar when I get to work."

Raising an eyebrow but not pressing the issue of her partner's diet, the Kryptonian shrugged her shoulders and finished the meal.

"Alright, you two," Lena announced, rising from the table. "I've gotta go shower and get ready for work. I'll see you both later."

"Wait!" Alura cried, as Lena began to turn away.

Of course, she turned around instantly at the girl's request.

Alura squeaked out, "Hug?" and held her arms open.

"Aww," the teacher cooed happily, lifting Alura out of the chair and hugging her tightly. "Of course, sweetheart. I hope you have a fabulous day at school."

"Me next!" Kara cried brightly, standing up with her arms out.

"You get double the trouble," Lena chuckled, playfully poking Kara's nose with her index finger before kissing her lips and pulling her into a tight embrace.

"Have a good day at work, Lena," the hero told her, hugging back just as tightly.

In Kara's ear, Lena whispered, "I'll be thinking about you all day."

~!~!~

"Oh, my God!" Alex exclaimed, nearly shouting. "I get to meet her?"

"Yes," her sister answered shortly. "So, _please,_ be on your best behavior and _don't_ talk about anything weird!"

"I never talk about anything weird," Alex huffed, crossing her arms. "I resent that."

"Whatever," Kara sighed. "Just behave."

Alex grinned in response, saluting the hero and saying, "You got it, boss."

Rolling her eyes, the Kryptonian made her way to the kitchen where she started preparing the meal, dashing around the room with super speed to make sure everything was ready in time.

Just as she was finishing up, the sound of a knock at the door startled Kara to the point of jumping nearly out of her skin.

"I'll get it!" Alura shouted excitedly.

"NO!" the girl's mother yelled.

"Absolutely not," Kara chastised, using super speed to beat them both to the door.

Smoothing her hair before opening the door, Kara tried to calm her nerves. When she finally did welcome Lena in, she saw that the woman was holding a bottle of wine.

"You didn't need to—" Kara started, but the smile on Lena's lips made her fumble for words.

"You must be Alex!" Lena said happily, after pecking Kara on the cheek.

"Hi!" Alex replied with a grin. "You must be the infamous Lena Luthor!"

"Infamous, huh?" the teacher laughed. "Why's that?"

"Infamous for stealing my sister's heart!"

"Alex, if you don't shut up _right now,_ " Kara warned, scowling in her sister's direction.

Rolling her eyes, Alex mumbled, "Yeah, yeah. Anyway, it's a pleasure to meet you, Lena! I've heard so much about you, and Kara's description of your beauty certainly pales in comparison to the real thing."

"Isn't she _beautiful?_ " Alura piped in, throwing her arms around her former teacher.

"She is," Kara cut them off. "Now go set the table."

Huffing, Alura disappeared into the kitchen to grab the napkins and utensils.

"You too," the hero said sternly, upon noticing her sister still standing there. "And wipe that dopey grin off your face."

Lena couldn't help but laugh at this, flattered by Kara's defensiveness and enchanted by her sudden shyness.

"It's okay, sweetheart," she said, placing her hand on her partner's shoulder. "We should get to know each other better. Besides, I'm sure Alura can handle setting the table by herself."

"Well… Dinner will be ready in about five minutes, so I should probably go check on the—"

"Perfect!" Lena said with a smirk, giving Kara a gentle shove towards the kitchen.

Kara reluctantly took several steps towards the kitchen but paused to look back at the two women standing in the living room. _Great,_ she thought. _They're totally about to gossip about me._

"Go," Lena laughed, noticing Kara's hesitation. "We're fine."

With a sigh and a weak nod, the hero followed her daughter into the kitchen.

"So!" Alex happily exclaimed. "How are you this evening, Miss Luthor?"

"Don't call me that," the teacher chuckled. "Just Lena. Please."

"You got it, captain!"

The two made small conversation for a minute or two but – thankfully for Kara – the two didn't have time to get into the gossiping that Alex was so deeply craving.

"Hey, Lena," Alex blurted, after they'd sat down in the dining room and started eating. "Did you know that octopuses have three hearts and blue blood?"

"Alex," Kara groaned. "Can you not be so ridiculously _weird?_ "

"What?" Alex whined. "I'm just sharing fun facts about the universe that everyone should know!"

"Is that true?" Lena cut in with a warm smile.

"It _is_ true! _And,_ what's more, did you know that a shrimp's heart is located in its head?"

"No way!" Alura gasped, slamming her fists down on the table.

"YES way!" Alex exclaimed. "AND… did you know… that a rhino's horn is made of hair?"

"Okay, stop," Lena laughed. "That's absurd."

"No, it's true!"

"Actually, that _is_ true," Kara cut in simply before taking another bite of her meal. Then, realizing she was unintentionally encouraging her sister, she snapped, "But stop being weird!"

"I'm not weird. You're weird. You're the one who can't stop eating pot stickers. I'm amazed you didn't order in," Alex cackled.

Kara, feeling her face grow hot with frustration and embarrassment, leaned in towards her sister and hissed, "I can too stop eating them, whenever I want to!"

"Doubtful."

"Well, I'm not eating them now, am I?"

Ignoring her sister's question, Alex turned back to Lena and announced, "Also, slugs have four noses."

"Oh, my GOD!" Alura shouted. "I want four noses!"

"No, you don't!" Kara barked. "Would you two knock it off?"

"I've got a fun fact," Lena said cheerfully. "Elephants are the only animal that can't jump."

"Aw, c'mon, everyone knows that," Alura pouted, crossing her arms and forgetting her food. "Tell us a good one. You're a teacher. You're supposed to know everything!"

"I don't know _everything_ , Alura," the teacher chuckled. "However… An ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain."

"Oooh. Cool. They must not be very smart then," Alura commented, remembering her meal and taking a few slow bites.

Kara, exasperated, was in her chair rolling her eyes.

"I've got a great one," Alex cried, nearly bouncing in her seat. "Alura, you're gonna love this. Are you guys ready?"

"Oh, boy. Here we go," Kara groaned, hanging her head in her hands.

"Nearly THREE percent of the ice in Antarctic glaciers is penguin urine!"

"ALEX! Gross!" Kara shouted.

"AWESOME!" Alura exclaimed, clapping her hands.

"Okay, enough!" the girl's mother cut in. "Enough talk about urine at the dinner table. Can we just eat in peace?"

"Tiger penises are a Chinese delicacy!" Alura announced, grinning proudly.

"Okay, munchkin," Lena cut in. "Maybe we should drop the animal facts for now, before your mum blows as gasket, yeah?"

Pouting, Alura crossed her arms again and stared down at her plate, clearly put off by the censorship.

"I asked you two to be on your _best_ behavior, and this is what you come out with?" Kara choked out, clearly past the point of annoyed and into the territory of 'genuinely upset.'

When Lena saw the tears in Kara's eyes, she reached over and took the woman's hand, saying, "Sweetie. It's all in good fun. Really. They're fine."

But Kara was too stunned to say anything else. She definitely wasn't and never would be ashamed of her family. But damn was she embarrassed by their behavior.

"Kara," the teacher pressed. "Really. It's okay. We're just having fun."

"Are you sure you're not… grossed out? They really shouldn't—"

"Frogs can't vomit. Did you know that, Kara?" Lena offered gently, attempting to ease her concerns about the conversation being too gross for her.

Of course, the hero's eyes went wide at this, surprised by just how relaxed and comfortable Lena seemed to be, despite her family members being completely and totally bizarre at the dinner table.

"Keep this one," Alex cut in with a proud grin. "Definitely keep this one. She's something special."

Blushing brightly, Kara dropped her gaze and mumbled, "I intended to."

"What was that?" Lena teased, having heard her clearly but wanting to hear the words again.

"I said… I intend to."

Alex and Alura clapped their hands in unison, beaming from ear to ear.

Scooting her chair closer to Kara's, the teacher leaned in and kissed the blonde's lips, whispering, "Good. I was hoping you'd say that."


	12. Chapter 12

**SIX MONTHS LATER**

"I need a favor," Kara sighed, flopping down on the couch beside her sister.

"Sure thing, Kar. What's up?"

"I… had this crazy thought… and I need you to tell me it's crazy."

"Well, if you're thinking it, it's definitely crazy."

"Okay, I _know,_ but like… I need you to _stop me._ "

Alex visibly stiffened and straightened in her seat.

"Kara… What did you do?"

"Nothing yet!" Kara exclaimed. "I just… need you to stop me before I do it…"

Intrigued and a little concerned, Alex looked her sister over from head to toe. Kara's muscles were tight, and she was engaging in her anxious fidgeting, which was playing with her hair. She couldn't sit still, as stiff as she was, and Alex knew immediately that something was up.

"You're gonna ask her, aren't you?"

Swallowing hard, Kara looked up at her sister, tears welling in her eyes, as she squirmed in her seat.

"Why would I stop you?" Alex pressed, eyebrows raised in surprise. "You love her."

"Of course I do, Alex!" Kara cried, leaping off the couch and pacing back and forth in front of Alex. "But we've only been dating for six months, and I—"

"You love her," Alex repeated. "And she loves you. Whether you wait one day or ten years is irrelevant."

Mouth agape, Kara stared at her sister in disbelief, gawking, "You mean, you're not going to tell me I'm crazy? Or not to rush into things?"

"Kara," Alex sighed, grabbing her sister's hands to pull her back down onto the couch. "You're my sister. I know when you're happy and when you're not. And the only time – the _only_ time – I've seen you happy, other than with Alura, is when you're with Lena. You've lived a hard life, Kar. You've lost a lot. I get that. I know how hard it is for you to be a single parent. But now that you've got Lena, I see this… this light in your eyes again. A light I hadn't seen since—"

"Let's not go there," Kara said hurriedly. "But you're right, Alex. I haven't been this happy since Alura was first born."

"And that's why you shouldn't hold back."

"But what if I scare her?"

"Scare her?"

"By rushing it."

Alex laughed at this, shaking her head and saying, "Honey, that girl would say yes to you even if all you had to your name was a cardboard box on the side of the road."

Raising an eyebrow, Kara asked, "You think so?"

"Yes."

"You're sure?"

"Yes."

"But how do you _know_?"

"That's none of your business," Alex quipped with a grin.

"ALEX!" Kara shouted, shoving the woman's shoulder. "Do you know something I don't know?"

"Maybe I do. Maybe I don't. Maybe I just know you two and how happy you are and don't want you to wait to get your happily ever after."

"Oh, my God, Alex!" the blonde blurted. "That's it! That's it! I know exactly how I'm gonna do it!"

Alex stared briefly before saying, "Uh… What did I just say?"

"Happily ever after!"

"Okay, but, uh…"

Leaning in close as she clapped her hands, Kara whispered into Alex's ear – just in case Alura woke up and walked out into the living room – "We're going to Disney World!"

"Wait, what? We?"

"Yeah, of course. I'm gonna need a wingman," the hero laughed. "And… maybe a babysitter?"

"Wait, this is a family vacation? Why don't the two of you just go down?"

"Because Alura's summer break is in a few months, and we haven't been on a family vacation… well… ever, really."

"Shit. You're serious."

"Deathly serious."

"You really want me there?"

"Yes! I just planned it all out in my head in the last two minutes we've been talking about it," Kara said matter-of-factly. "Here's how it's gonna go—"

~!~!~

"Babe… Can I talk to you in private for a minute?" Kara asked her partner, after she, Lena, and Alura had finished dinner.

Eyes widening slightly, betraying her anxiety in response to her request, Lena gave a curt nod and rose from the table, following Kara into the bedroom.

"W-What's this about, Kara?" the teacher stammered, chewing on her lower lip as she searched the blonde's face for signs of a break-up speech. "L-Listen… If… If you're gonna say—"

"Hey. No," Kara said hurriedly, immediately grabbing Lena's hands. "It's nothing like that, Lee. I'm sorry it came off cryptic. It's actually… I, um… Well, I'm nervous to ask you, but it's not… It's nothing bad."

"O-kay…" Lena said slowly, still looking apprehensive. "What is it?"

Sitting down on the bed, Kara patted the comforter next to her, signaling her partner to join her. With some hesitation, Lena sat down slowly. Despite her best efforts to prevent such, her eyes began to well with tears.

As the hero took a deep breath, not speaking yet, Lena choked out, "Kara… If you're gonna break up with me, please just rip the band-aid off. Because—"

"Lena!" Kara cried, loudly enough for her daughter to hear from the next room.

Of course, Alura burst into the room without knocking, and blurted, "What's wrong? Are you guys fighting?"

"No, honey," Kara said quickly, opening her arms to hold the girl. "Everything's fine."

But Alura ignored her mother and ran immediately into Lena's arms, surprising her former teacher beyond belief.

"Don't go, Lena," Alura said anxiously. "Don't leave us."

"She's not going anywhere," Kara asserted, her tone suddenly confident and firm.

Keeping her arms around Alura, Lena turned her head to look at Kara's face, looking for sincerity. She found it when Kara offered a weak smile and wrapped her arms around her shoulders.

"Promise?" Alura whimpered, once again ignoring her mother in favor of looking up at Lena.

"Alura, honey… I would never… _ever…_ leave you two, unless your mother asked me to," Lena vowed, making Kara's heart grow, Kara was sure, at least three sizes.

"Okay," the girl sniffled, clinging to Lena. "Will you tuck me in?"

"A little later, honey. Why don't you get settled and read for a little bit, and I'll be in soon?"

"Okay!" Alura agreed, suddenly cheerful as she tore away from Lena and made her way to the bedroom door.

"Teeth first!" Kara called out.

Alura ignored her yet again and ran towards her room.

Then, biting her lip once again, Lena looked at her partner with apprehension.

"So… What did you want to ask me?" she questioned, her voice softer than usual, giving away the lack of confidence she was feeling.

"I… was thinking…" Kara started, looking nervous. "I was thinking… Alura's… never been on a family vacation before…"

Blinking away her confusion, Lena stared, waiting for Kara to continue.

"Okay…"

"And I was… I was thinking… What better, more magical place, than the most magical place on Earth?"

"Um… What?"

"Disney World, of course," Kara chuckled, grateful to feel the mood lighten somewhat.

"Aww! That's a great idea, honey!" Lena exclaimed, relieved that Kara's statement had nothing to do with her. Then, remembering that Kara had intended to ask a _question,_ she asked, "So, what's the question?"

"Well, first… Is that a good idea?"

Lena sighed, offering a half-smile, and answered, "You don't need me to tell you what's a good idea to do with your daughter, sweetheart."

"Well… Okay, but… but… is it?"

Laughing, Lena pulled Kara in close and kissed her temple, feeling her own heart swell with affection.

"Yes, baby. It's a wonderful idea. Is Alex a fan of Disney?"

"Who isn't?" the hero asked with a grin.

"That sounds like a fantastic family vacation, then!" the brunette told her happily. "When are you thinking you guys will go?"

Kara blinked several times, staring, dumbfounded by the fact that Lena wasn't picking up on what she was getting at, _at all_.

"Lena… When I said 'family…' I meant you too."

Mouth slightly ajar, Lena found herself speechless.

"M-Me? On your f-family vacation? Are you sure?"

"I'd like to think, Lena, that at this point, you consider yourself family. Because I certainly do," Kara said simply, feeling her heart sink slightly at the thought that perhaps she didn't see things the same way.

"I… I'm… I didn't… I didn't know you felt that way."

"You're family to me," Kara told her. "And you always will be welcome to _any_ family activities. And honestly… at this point… I don't think it would be much of a vacation without you. Besides, Alura and I would have withdrawals."

"Withdrawals from what?"

"From _you,_ you goober," the blonde laughed, shaking her head. "For a teacher, you sure are slow on the uptake sometimes."

Rolling her eyes, Lena pushed on Kara's shoulder.

After a pause, Kara asked, "So… Will you come?"

"To Disney World? With you? And your beautiful little girl?"

"And Alex, if that's okay."

"Of course it's okay! You know I love your sister, baby."

"Don't love her too much," Kara chuckled, hugging her partner tightly. "You're mine."

Lena nodded, kissing Kara's cheek, whispering, "Always, honey. Always."

"…Always?"

Heart skipping a beat, Lena stammered, "Y-Yeah… Of—Of course. You think I'd leave you?"

"I… I don't…"

"And did you really think I'd say _no_ to a family vacation with my favorite people in the world, to the happiest place on Earth?! As if!"

Beaming as relief crashed over her, Kara squeezed Lena tighter and husked, "You should hurry up and tuck the kid in, so we can celebrate."

"Oh?" Lena asked teasingly, licking a stripe from the base of Kara's neck up to her ear lobe.

Shivering from the touch, the hero gave her partner a gentle push to encourage her to hurry.

Laughing, Lena rose from her seat and blew Kara a playful kiss before leaving the room to tuck Alura into bed.


	13. Chapter 13

By the time Lena returned to the bedroom, Kara was naked, with the silk sheets only pulled up to her mid-thighs.

"Hi, sugar," Kara cooed, offering a playful smirk.

Lena's eyes went wide as she spun around, nearly slamming the door shut.

"Damn," she mumbled, more than obviously staring at the apex of Kara's thighs. "What did I do to deserve this sexy display of godly proportions?"

"You said you'd go with us to Disney."

"That's all I had to do?"

Kara nodded and smirked at her, wiggling her finger to beckon her partner forward.

"Come here," she offered, sitting up and patting the space between her legs.

Raising an eyebrow, Lena did as she was told, slowly stripping off her clothes – making a right show of it, too – and carefully crawling onto the bed. After settling between Kara's knees, she leaned in and pressed her lips to the hero's navel, letting them linger there, then bringing them south. Before Kara could react or respond, Lena's mouth was between her legs, caressing her in all the right places with her tongue, making the hero's back immediately arch off the bed.

"Lena," she said breathlessly, the air catching in her lungs before she could properly exhale in order to draw a fresh breath.

Expertly, Lena's mouth found ways to drive Kara wild, licking a stripe along her slit and sucking lightly on the hero's clit.

"Jesus, Lena," Kara gasped, when the woman's force increased. "Easy."

Lena pulled away only a moment, just long enough to shake her head before returning to her original objective. She wasn't going to be rough, but she certainly wasn't going to go easy on her partner either. Alternating between using her tongue to push up into Kara's sex and using it to suck forcefully on Kara's clit, Lena pressed her hands flat over Kara's hips to hold her still.

Of course, had the hero wanted to move, she could have. That would have been easy. What wasn't easy was keeping herself from levitating off the bed from the ecstasy of it all. Nothing she'd ever experienced had made her nerves electrify like what Lena was doing to her now, and it felt like little lightning bolts were shocking her everywhere as the teacher's nails dragged down her thighs.

Again, Kara's back arched as Lena relentlessly plunged her tongue into her core to gratefully taste every drop of the hero's arousal.

"Wait, Lena—" Kara panted. "Lena, I'm gonna—"

But it was too late, because as soon as Lena heard the beginning of this confession, her attention returned to Kara's swollen bud, and it only took two hard swipes of her tongue to bring the hero over the edge and past all control.

"Fff—" Kara started to scream, but Lena moved nearly at the speed of light to move up her lover's body to simultaneously cover the blonde's mouth and slide her nimble fingers into the woman's sex.

Kara's screams were muffled just enough to keep them within in the walls of the bedroom, but Lena could hear the strangled noises she was making, and it made her drip with arousal. She could feel it on her own thighs, sliding out and coating her skin.

"Oh, Kara," Lena sighed, curling her fingers at a steady pace to help the hero through the shocks of her climax. "My sweet, sweet angel. You're such a good girl for me…"

More muffled moaning found Lena's ears, and she shivered in response. Kara was losing it. She could see the blonde's eyes rolling into the back of her head as the orgasm rocked her body and Lena's fingers continued their loving assault. Then, Lena realized, they were both shaking – Kara from the intensity of her climax, and Lena from the intensity of her own arousal and anticipation of her own ending.

"S-Stopp," Kara mumbled against Lena's hand, attempting to push Lena's working hand away. "C-Can't—"

"One more," Lena purred, dropping her hand away from Kara's mouth to pinch her nipple, making Kara gasp loudly. "And if you don't hush, I'll have to gag you."

Kara's eyes went wide at this, but she obeyed and swallowed her moans to the best of her ability as Lena's perfect fingers curled repeatedly, bringing her crashing over the edge of her second orgasm. As her pleasure heightened, Kara found the noises bubbling up in her throat, but managed to stop the sound from escaping by covering her own mouth and biting down on her hand.

"Good girl," Lena whispered, pinching Kara's nipple again, this time slightly harder, making her suck in a sharp breath.

Only when Kara's body had finally stopped trembling several minutes later did Lena's fingers slide easily out of the blonde's sex.

"You are the devil," the hero panted, feeling herself shiver at the sudden emptiness inside her.

" _Your_ devil," the brunette corrected with a satisfied smirk. "And I know you love it."

Kara nodded weakly. With all her super strength, she couldn't bring herself to sit up. Nothing had stalled her or weakened her the way Kryptonite had, but this was a close second.

"I think it's my turn to torture you for a change," Kara shot back, after a brief pause where she'd considered her options.

"Aren't you tired?"

Kara almost blushed. Of course she wasn't tired. She was Kryptonian.

But there was no way she was going to tell Lena that. Someday, but not now. Still, just briefly, it sent an overwhelming anvil of guilt crashing over her. _Tell her. She needs to know,_ Kara told herself. Then, being reasonable, she reminded herself, _She could get hurt. I can't let that happen._

Just when she thought the guilt might eat her alive right then and there, Lena tore her from her distracted thoughts.

"Kara?"

"Huh? Oh. Yeah. I mean, no. No, I'm not tired," Kara blurted, sitting up in the bed.

Giving her a look of doubt and apprehension, Lena pressed, "You zoned out. I think you are tired."

"I'm not tired," Kara repeated, refocused on the task at hand. "Never too tired to please you, my darling."

"Kara—"

"Lie back."

"But—"

"Lie back, baby," the Kryptonian repeated with force. "Please. Be a good girl."

"Kara…"

"Lena Kieran Luthor. Are you going to be a good girl for me, or not?"

Feeling herself grow hot and red from her chest up to her forehead, Lena shivered and nodded her head, repositioning herself so that she was lying back with her head on the pillow.

"Well?" Kara pressed, when her partner, too shocked to speak, made no sound to reply.

"Y-Yes," Lena stammered. "I'll be the best girl…"

Kara felt her stomach drop. She knew she'd tossed out the line, but she hadn't imagined Lena biting the bait so hard.

"Good…" she forced herself to reply, though her mouth was dry with anticipation, spurred on by the butterflies erupting in her stomach.

No response from her lover could have been sexier.

"I'd like to try something, and if you don't want to, it's totally okay…" Kara explained. "But… I thought… maybe it might be fun and you might like it so…"

"Okay… Well… What is it?" Lena asked anxiously, when Kara paused, building the anticipation that was coiling heat in the tight muscles of the brunette's stomach.

Without speaking, Kara leaned over Lena's body and reached out to pull open the drawer of the nightstand, removing what Lena quickly realized was a strap-on.

"Oh, my God," Lena breathed, unable to say anything else and forgetting to actually consent.

"W-What?" Kara stammered, instantly losing her top energy. "Is it too much? B-Because if you d-don't w-want—"

"I want," Lena asserted firmly, her face growing hotter by the minute as she subconsciously gripped the sheets in her fists. "Please."

The hero smiled warmly, the butterflies returning as the excitement of what was to come built further. Her momentary scare that Lena was horrified passed immediately, leaving her with only the exhilarating possibilities of Lena's pleasure.

"Yes, m'lady," Kara acquiesced, sliding off the bed and pulling the harness on over her hips.

Lena stared, and when she licked her lips, Kara felt her mouth watering from want. Of course, Lena's obvious display of excitement spurred the hero on, so she crawled between her lover's legs. When she made a pass through Lena's wet folds with the fingertips of her left hand, Lena gasped loudly at the intense warmth. Heat was radiating from the Kryptonian at an unusual rate.

"Shh," the hero urged her. "Be a good girl."

"Wait," Lena blurted, holding Kara away by pushing her hands up against the woman's shoulders. "Give me your belt."

"My belt?"

"Yes! Just do it! Please."

Wasting no more time, Kara leaned over and reached down to the floor where her belt was mixed in with a pile of that day's clothing, returning with the belt in hand.

Lena grabbed it quickly, lifting the strap to her mouth, and said, "Do it," before biting down to silence what she knew would be a loud expression of pleasure if she didn't.

Kara wanted to take her time. Wanted to make this last. But at the same time, she wanted to make her partner scream and rail her into next week. Knowing full well this would wake her daughter – and would end far too quickly – Kara decided instead to move and touch with great intention, her fingertips dancing over Lena's skin with great care.

First, her hero's touch blazed a trail down from Lena's shoulders, over her breasts, and paused on her hips. When Lena arched slightly in response, Kara gave a pleased, crooked smile and allowed her hands to travel south. Once more, she made a swipe through Lena's arousal, which was already soaking her thighs and dripping onto the sheets, causing Lena to clench her jaw.

"You ready, baby girl?" Kara asked.

When Lena nodded quickly, Kara kissed her forehead, her lips, and her neck before pressing her palms flat over her hips and slowly gliding the tip of the toy into her entrance. Again, Lena tried to lift her hips, but this time, the hero's strength held her to the bed as she pushed in a little further.

Lena bit down harder, letting out a muffled moan.

"Good girl," Kara purred. "Such a good girl."

And that was when Lena's eyes rolled into the back of her head, feeling the overwhelming sensation of being filled radiating through her body, from the inside out.

"Can you take some more?" the hero asked gently, brushing Lena's sweat-soaked hair from her forehead.

Lena nodded rapidly, so Kara obliged and pushed the toy in deeper, a little at a time, savoring every inch that made Lena's face contort with pleasure. After pausing at the hilt, once she was sure that Lena was alright, Kara drew her hips back slowly. The friction inside Lena's core would have made a moan tear through her if it weren't for the belt nearly gagging her. Hearing the strangled cries let Kara knew she was doing well, so she allowed herself to work up a slow, steady rhythm, before gradually relieving the pressure over Lena's hips to allow her to lift up to and meet her thrusts.

"Good girl," the blonde cooed, rocking her body into her lover's. "My good, sweet girl."

Then, Kara felt her partner start to tremble, starting at her thighs and rippling through the rest of her body, signaling that she was nearing her climax.

"You close, baby?" she whispered, smirking down at the woman beneath her as she quickened the pace of her thrusts.

Another rapid nod urged Kara to use more force, which she did with fervor, finally thrusting hard and losing some of her steady rhythm as she tried to match the frantic lifting of Lena's hips as she reached her peak.

"Good girl. Good girl," Kara urged her, pressing their foreheads together as she continued to roughen her thrusts.

When Lena's nails dug into her back and dragged all the way down to her ass, Kara shivered. Of course, it didn't hurt, given her impenetrable Kryptonian skin, but it sent little shocks down her spine that she loved.

Just long enough to pant, "Harder," Lena took the belt out of her mouth, then replaced it immediately with a hiccupped gasp.

Kara obliged, pounding the toy as hard she could into Lena's sex without actually hurting her. In response, Lena's walls clenched hard around the toy in ripples of her pleasure.

Thighs clenching hard around Kara's hips, the brunette thrust up to meet Kara just twice more before weakening to the point of being frozen in place. The Kryptonian was relentless but slowed down her movements to draw out her partner's explosive climax. Lena, soaked with sweat, whimpered around the belt between her teeth as her body shuddered the last sign of her orgasm.

"Good girl," Kara whispered, stroking Lena's hair back. "Such a good girl."

Overwhelmed by her own arousal and the shock of the peak she'd just reached, Lena found herself unable to speak as she pulled out the belt and threw it to the floor. Then, wrapping her arms tightly around Kara's torso, she pulled the woman down and clung tightly as her chest heaved harshly, trying to draw breath.

"It's okay," Kara promised. "You're okay. I'm right here."

Lena whimpered again, pressing her forehead against the hero's shoulder.

"I've got you, baby," the blonde told her with a smile, proud of her own performance and the reaction it had earned.

She could tell that Lena was overwhelmed, her whole world rocked by the orgasm Kara had just delivered.

Realizing that Lena was breathless, Kara rolled onto her side, still leaving an arm draped over Lena and resting a hand on her left breast, and whispered, "I think I may have broken you. Let's get some sleep, angel."

Lena could only nod in response, clinging to her lover as she fell into a deep sleep.


	14. Chapter 14

"Kara!" Lena woke screaming, sitting straight up in bed, her back dripping in a cold sweat.

As soon as she heard the scream rip through the chill of the cool night air, Kara sat up too, startled awake. Had she not been a nearly-immortal Kryptonian, the hero would have likely dropped dead from a heart attack right then and there. As it stood, she _was_ Kryptonian, so her fight or flight instincts kicked in, she scanned the room for threats, and her arms instantly wrapped around her partner, holding her against her chest as she kissed the top of Lena's head. She was beyond relieved to quickly realize that it had just been a nightmare that had woken her.

"It's okay, Lena," Kara whispered, stroking Lena's hair back and rocking her slowly. "I'm right here, baby. It was just a dream. I'm right here."

But Lena was sobbing, frantically cleaning to Kara, and burying her face in the woman's shoulder.

"Lee… Lee, baby, what happened?" the hero pressed, continuing to rock her partner carefully.

"We were… We were at the school… getting ready to bring Alura home… and there… there were gunshots," Lena sobbed.

Kara felt her breath hitch at the thought of this scenario, but before she could speak, Lena continued.

"They shot Alura, Kara," Lena wailed. "You went to grab her, and they shot you point-blank in the head."

Kara wasn't sure how Alura's powers would develop, but she was definitely sure that _she_ was bullet-proof, so she almost – almost – let out a soft laugh of relief at the content of the dream. Thankfully, there was no way that was going to happen. As scary as it was to think about, she knew the only thing that could ever take her out was Kryptonite.

"That's not gonna happen," Kara whispered. "It was just a dream, baby. I'm right here."

"I want to check on Alura," Lena whimpered, rubbing her eyes with the backs of her hands.

"Lena… I'm sure she's fine. She—"

"I need to see her."

Kara's heart swelled at this display of caring and affection for her daughter. _We really are family,_ the hero thought, warmed by Lena's devotion to Alura.

"Alright. Dry your eyes. I don't want her to wake up and see you crying, okay? She'll freak out."

Lena nodded, sniffled, and allowed Kara to gently wipe her tears away before sliding out of the bed. Kara followed her to Alura's room where the two, of course, found her sleeping soundly. Her mouth hung slightly open as she snored softly, and Kara couldn't help but smile at the sight.

Lena was tempted to go kiss the girl's forehead, just to feel that she was real and that _this_ wasn't the dream, but Kara gently tugged at her arm and pulled her back to the bedroom.

"Bedtime," Kara said softly, helping her lover under the covers.

Vigorously, Lena shook her head and said, "No. I'm not sleeping. I don't want to see that again."

"Baby," the blonde sighed. "You've gotta sleep. We're both got to—"

"No. You sleep. I'm just going to read for a while."

With another soft sigh, Kara shook her head and sat back up in the bed, flicking on the light as she glanced at the clock: 2:42 AM.

"If you're up, I'm up."

"Kara, no. I—"

"Hey, guess what!"

"W-What?" Lena asked hesitantly, tilting her head.

Leaning in close to the woman's ear, Kara whispered excitedly, "We're going to Disney World!"

Finally, Lena smiled at this and nodded her head.

"So, how are we going to tell the kid?" the hero asked.

"I dunno. That's a good question. It should be special, though."

"Maybe we just don't tell her where we're going until we're at the airport," Kara chuckled.

"Yeah, right," Lena laughed. "Like she'd let us drive that far without driving us crazy wanting to know where we're going. We'd spoil the surprise just to keep ourselves sane."

"Alright… So… maybe some kind of announcement?"

"Wait, I know! What about Mickey ears? Let's go on the website and order matching Mickey ears! We'll have them shipped to the house, wrap them up with a note, and have her open them!"

"Wow, Lee, that's an awesome idea!" Kara cried, a little louder than she should have, her excitement getting the best of her. "Now… We just have to pick the right ears."

With that, Lena leaned over and grabbed her laptop from beside the bed and opened it, navigating to the website.

After about fifteen minutes or so, pouring over the overwhelming number of options, they finally found what they hadn't known they were looking for.

"Rainbow!" Kara cried, pointing at the screen and bouncing in place.

"Shh," Lena laughed, lifting her finger to Kara's lips to quiet her. "You're right, though. These are perfect. Black sequin Minnie ears with a rainbow bow! She's gonna love all the colors. And you're super gay, so obviously they'll fit you perfectly too!"

"Hey!" the hero pouted. "I'm not _super_ gay."

Hearing the words coming out of her own mouth, Kara couldn't help but laugh at the unintentional pun. She really _was_ 'super' gay.

"Alright, maybe," Kara corrected herself with a grin, kissing Lena's cheek. "But you loved how gay I was last night."

Lena laughed at this and caught Kara's lips, agreeing, "You're right. I did love it. So… maybe you should do it again… you know… just to make _sure_ you really are _super_ gay."

Smirking at the invitation, Kara leaned over and shut the light off before pushing the sheets down and crawling between Lena's legs as she hastily put the laptop away.

~!~!~

"So, how'd it go? You look like you got laid," Alex asked her sister over lunch the next day, knowing that she'd asked about their vacation the night before.

"Soooo well!" Kara cried, clapping her hands. "And hey… shut up about that! That's none of your business! Anyway, she wants to go! AND we figured out how we're going to tell Alura!"

"Okay, stud-muffin," Alex laughed. "So how are you gonna tell her?"

"We're gonna get Mickey ears. Well, Minnie ears. With rainbow bows! And put a little note in there and have her open them!"

"Oh, my God. That's adorable! Do I get a pair?"

"Of course you do. You're as gay as me!"

"Hey!" Alex laughed, playfully shoving her sister. "I am nowhere near as gay as you. You're _super_ gay."

"Hush your mouth! Why does everyone say that?"

"Say what?"

"That's I'm 'super' gay!"

"Because you are, dummy!"

Rolling her eyes, Kara took several more bites of her food before replying, "Whatever. Anyway, we ordered them this morning and they should be here next week. Will you come over to tell Alura with us?"

"I dunno, hun… I think maybe that should be a you and Lena thing."

"What? Why? It's your vacation too."

"Yeah, but… You're co-parenting now, and it's adorable. I don't want to get in the way of that."

"You're not getting in the way. You're her aunt. You should be there too. You're a huge part of her life, Alex."

Wearing a warm, affectionate smile, Alex nodded her head and agreed, "Alright. Let me know when they come in."

"I will! I can't wait!"

"I know. You're the most impatient person I know!"

"Hey!" Kara pouted. "That's not true."

"Who do you know who is more impatient than you, then?"

"Alura," Kara laughed, shaking her head.

"She gets it from you, you dweeb."

"Maybe," the hero chuckled, taking the final bite of her meal.

When her watched buzzed on her wrist, she sighed.

"I gotta go, Alex. They need me."

"Be careful, Kara."

With a nod, the Kryptonian walked over to her sister, kissed the top of her head, and said, "I will. I love you, Alex. Can you pick Alura up from school, just in case?"

"Of course."

With that said, Kara bolted for the bathroom of the restaurant, careful to go quickly but without using super speed.

She spent the next four hours saving lives and finished just in time to be home for dinner.

"Mom!" Alura cried, rushing her mother and throwing her arms around the woman's waist. "Where were you?"

"Top secret government business, I'm afraid."

"But Mooommm," Alura whined, tugging at her mother's shirt. "Tell meee."

"Ladies!" Alex called out from the kitchen. "Time to eat!"

Kara grinned, lifted her daughter into her arms, earning a squeal in return, and carried her into the dining room where Alex served them their meal.

"Thanks for picking the kid up, Alex," the hero said, after taking several large bites of spaghetti.

"Any time! You know I love—"

"Hey!" Alura shouted. "I'm not a kid!"

The two women laughed and shook their heads.

"Yeah, yeah," Alex chuckled. "Of course you're not."

Scowling as she finished her dinner, Alura, surprisingly, remained silent.

Once they were done their meal, Kara rose from the table, collecting the three plates and sets of silverware to bring to the kitchen.

Before making her way there, the hero announced, "Alright, Little Miss. Bedtime."

"What? Why? I just had dinner! Don't I get to—"

"You can read for the next half hour after brushing your teeth, but that's it. Then, lights out."

"Can Auntie Alex at least read to me for a while?"

Kara looked to Alex for the answer, and Alex looked at her for the same.

"Up to you, Mama," Alex told them with a smile. "I don't mind."

"Alura," Kara sighed. "You're old enough to read on your own. Too old for bedtime stories."

"But what about If You Give a Mouse a Cookie?" Alura whined. "It's my favorite!"

"Alura, come on. That's for little kids."

With a grin, Alura teased, "Just kidding. Can she read me Chronicles of Narnia?"

With another sigh, Kara rolled her eyes and huffed, "Alright. But I want you to read a chapter on your own tomorrow. You need to practice your reading comprehension for school."

"Do not! I've been doing great in school!"

"Alright, alright. Fair enough. I still want you reading on your own tomorrow, though."

"Alex, will you read to me?" Alura asked, bouncing in her seat.

"Absolutely, darling. Anything for my favorite niece!" Alex exclaimed.

"I'm your only niece, you dork!" Alura laughed, jumping up and running over to her aunt to wrap her in a tight vice-like embrace.

"I love you, sweetheart," the girl's aunt told her, stroking her hair. "Go do your teeth and I'll be in in a little bit."

Without so much as a nod, Alura took off running for the bathroom.

As soon as she was gone, Kara scolded her sister, "You spoil her. She's rotten."

" _My_ niece?! No way!" Alex laughed with a grin.

"You're too much," the hero sighed.

During a brief pause, Alex's expression faded into one of stoic seriousness as she gazed at her sister.

"What?" Kara asked, tilting her head and looking confused.

"Kara…"

"Yeah?"

"Kar… When you came to Midvale… I was so fucking jealous of you."

"What?" Kara gaped, attempting to blink away her confusion.

"I was jealous. Unbelievably so. You had all these… powers. You were so… _amazing._ You had _everything_. And I was so… normal… but not even normal at the same time."

"Alex… What are you talking about?"

Beginning to look concerned, the hero sat back down at the table and watched her sister's expression as it grew more and more into that of worry and concern.

"I was normal in the sense of being powerless and anything but special. But I wasn't normal in that… I… I liked girls and got bullied and everyone at school hated me. I just wanted to be like you. And for a little bit, I even hated you, Kara… I hated that you had so much that I didn't. I was walking in your shadow."

"Alex… I—"

"But then we got to know each other, and I realized… We would never be blood, but you would always, _always_ be my sister… and there was no one in the entire galaxy I'd ever want to take your place. I learned to love how amazing you are. And then I slowly… only through your unconditional love and support… learned to accept myself for who I am. And now, I'm confident in myself and in my job and in my love for my family. And then… then you gave me this beautiful, beautiful, fiery little niece, and even though you started your own family, you kept me close and never left me out or forgot about me. And I honestly… I couldn't love you more."

"Alex… Alex, I'm… I'm so sorry that you felt that way, and I—"

"You made me who I am. You empowered me to build myself into the woman I wanted to be. _Me._ And I can't thank you enough for that. I can't thank you enough for including me in your life and all the things you do for me and our wonderful family."

"Hey. Don't do that," Kara sighed. "You didn't need me to reach your full potential. You had it in you all along, and I always knew that. I never doubted you for a second, and I am so, so proud of you. And so, so proud to be your—"

"I love you," Alex blurted, rushing to her sister and throwing her arms around the woman's torso. "I love you so much. I don't want to lose you…"

"Alex. Honey. Where is this coming from?"

"Honestly, Kar… Every time you come home late… I worry you're not coming home. I can't lose you. I just can't. I'm so proud of who you are and what you do and how you've chosen to become Supergirl. But I get _so_ scared, Kara. I get scared of losing you and Alura."

"It's gonna be okay," Kara assured her. "I'm going to be okay. I promise."

"You know you can't promise that, Kar."

"Yes, I can. I'm _always_ careful. I know I need to come home to my girls."

With a weak nod, Alex sighed, "Thank you. Please, continue to be careful. We need you. _I_ need you." Then, after a long pause, Alex divulged, "I'm scared that Lena doesn't like me."

"Oh, my God," Kara laughed. "Are you serious? She adores you. You know that, Alex."

"But—"

"No, really. She loves you. And Alura."

"And you, Kar."

"I hope so…"

"You _hope_ so? You've been dating forever, and she says it all the time."

"What if she says no? What if she says she doesn't want to marry me, or that it's too soon?"

"Sweetheart," Alex said softly, giving her sister a warm, encouraging smile. "She's going to say yes. I guarantee it."

"I don't want to pick out the ring without her," Kara confessed. "But I don't want to propose without one."

"Give her your mother's ring."

"Really? You think—"

"Your mother would be so proud of you, Kara. She would love Lena and want you to be happy."

"So… I propose with my mother's ring, and then let her know she can pick one out when we get back from the trip?"

Alex nodded with a grin and said, "I know, I know. I'm a genius and my ideas are always perfect."

Rolling her eyes, Kara shoved her sister's shoulder and mumbled, "Go read to the kid."

Still wearing a grin, Alex nodded and headed for her niece's bedroom.


	15. Chapter 15

When the Minnie ears finally arrived in the mail from the online Disney Shop, Kara called Lena immediately, even though Lena was already on the way to Kara's apartment.

In a hushed tone – Alura was in the next room over, doing her homework – the hero whispered into the receiver, "They're here!"

"What's there?" Lena asked, not immediately putting together what Kara was saying.

"The _ears,_ Lena! The ears!"

"OH!" Lena shouted. "Oh, my God! So we do it tonight?"

"Yeah! If you're ready. I've got the Disney princess wrapping paper."

"Awesome! Wrap 'em up and we'll write the note together when I get there?"

"Totally!"

"See you soon, baby. I'm about five minutes out."

"Can't wait!"

"I love you, Kara."

"I love you too, sugar."

~!~!~

"Alura!" Lena called out from the living room. "Time to put the tablet and electronics away!"

"But _moooooom,"_ Alura whined. "I'm about to beat the boss level!"

Sitting side-by-side on the couch, Lena and Kara stared at each other in disbelief of what they'd just heard. Alura had called Lena 'mom.'

"Did she just…?" Kara asked, dumbfounded.

Just as surprised, Lena blurted, "I… I, um… I'm sorry. I'll talk to her… I… I never told her to—"

"Oh, God, Lena. I know that. I know you obviously didn't _tell_ her to call you that. She did that on her own."

"But that's… _You're_ her—"

"Apparently, you are too," Kara whispered with a broad smile, cupping Lena's chin and leaning in to connect their lips.

"B-But, I—" Lena stammered. "I don't know how to be a… a…"

"Yes, you do," the hero told her. "You do it every day."

"What do you mean?"

"Think about it. You drop her off at school, pick her up, feed her, hug her, read to her, tuck her in at night, tell her you love her… How is that anything other than motherhood?"

Eyes wide, betraying her sense of shock, Lena continued to stare at her partner in disbelief.

"Lena," Kara said gently, wrapping an arm around the brunette's shoulders. "You got this. You are just as much her mom as I am."

"No way! You—"

"Do you care for her?"

"Of _course_ I do!" Lena nearly shouted.

"And do you love her?"

"Yes! Absolutely! More than life itself."

"Would you protect her like your own?"

"I'd die for that kid, Kara. You _know_ that."

"Yes, I do. And that makes you just as much her mom as I am."

"But I—"

"Go get your kid, Lena," Kara laughed. "She's not listening, and it's your turn to play Bad Cop."

Blushing and rolling her eyes, Lena rose from the couch and gave a nod of understanding before saying, "I love you, Kar."

"I love you too, Lee. You will always be a vital part of this family."

Finally, a smile spread across Lena's lips as she kissed her partner's forehead and headed for Alura's bedroom.

Once in the girl's room, Lena gently encouraged her, "Come on, sweetheart. Time to shut it off."

"But Mom!"

Pausing for a minute as her heart leapt into her chest, Lena watched as the girl looked at her with a well-played pouty face.

"Alura… Sweetheart…"

Blinking in confusion, Alura tilted her head slightly and said, "What?"

"You… You called me 'mom.'"

"Am I not allowed to call you mom?" Alura asked, her suddenly shaky voice giving away her rush of anxiety and embarrassment.

"It's not that, honey. I just… Today was the first time, and you surprised me a little bit."

"But… is it… bad?"

"Not at all, darling," Lena said, sitting down beside the girl on her bed.

Sensing the gravity of the situation, Alura used her game controller to force the console to shut down, without saving the game, and never took her eyes off Lena's.

"Then… what's the big deal? I mean… aren't you my mom too?"

Hesitating only a moment, Lena answered, "Only if you want me to be. I know I can never take your mom's place, but—"

"You don't need to take Mom's place. You just need to be you. I need you both."

Feeling an intense surge of emotion flood her, Lena had to fight back tears in order to keep looking at the girl who had so amazingly become her daughter. Of course, she lost the battle and began to cry, tears streaming down her cheeks, betraying her feelings.

"What?" Alura asked again, still confused by Lena's obvious display of emotion. "Why are you crying? Did I do something bad?"

"No, baby girl," Lena sighed, pulling Alura into her arms and holding her. "I just love you so much."

"I love you too, Ma."

 _Ma._ Lena replayed the sound of the word in her mind, her cheeks tinting red ad she continued to cry, still holding Alura tightly, who was returning the hug with enthusiasm.

"Come on, honey. Time to go out and see your Mom."

"But—"

"Trust me. We have a surprise for you."

"What? Really?"

"Mhmm."

"Is it a good surprise?" Alura asked excitedly, letting go of her new mother and bouncing on the bed.

"Very good surprise. You're gonna love it. Now, come on. Let's not keep your mother waiting."

Smiling broadly, Lena stood up and tugged Alura out of the bed and into the living room.

" _Finally,_ " Kara huffed, upon seeing them enter. "I thought you were never gonna get out of that bedroom. I was about to check on you and see if you'd _died,_ for crying out loud. What took so— Wait… Lena… Why are you crying? What happened? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Lena sniffled, sporting a bright smile through her tears as she reached up to wipe them from her cheeks. "I'm outstanding."

When she wrapped an arm around Alura, the girl bounced excitedly and asked, "So what's my surprise? Gimme, gimme!"

"Alura!" Kara scolded her. "Be polite or you'll get nothing."

Whining, Alura sighed, "Fine. May I _please_ have my surprise now?"

"YEP!" the hero shouted, clapping her hands and handing her the wrapped box.

"Can I open it?!" Alura asked, obviously bubbling over with the intensity of the anticipation and excitement.

"Go ahead," Lena offered, her smile growing into a grin as Alura instantly began to shred the paper off the box. "Read the note out loud first."

Alura grabbed it from the box immediately and nearly ripped it as she pulled it out.

"Okay… Here it goes," she announced, dramatically clearing her throat. "'Dearest Alura, we love you so very much, and we are so, so proud of you. You are an amazing student, an amazing daughter, and an amazing person. We wanted to give you something awesome, so we're taking you on your very first vacation!'" Alura nearly screamed the end of the sentence. "Wait! We're going on vacation?! WHERE?!"

"Keep reading," Kara urged her, beaming from ear to ear.

"Okay, okay!" the girl exclaimed, continuing to read aloud. "'But we want you to guess where based on the clues in this box. What do you think? Can you guess?'"

Throwing the note to the side, Alura tore through the tissue paper in the box to first reveal a large stuffed, plush Mickey Mouse. Instantly, her jaw dropped as she continued to dig through the box, revealing a Minnie Mouse plush as well. Then, she got to the ears.

"OH MY GOD! WE'RE GOING TO DISNEY!" she screamed, starting to sob. "MOMS, I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!"

To Lena's surprise, Kara looked to her to reply first.

"We love you too, sweetheart," Lena assured her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"Try on the ears!" Kara cried happily, nearly vibrating with excitement just as Alura had been moments before.

Without hesitation, but with shaking hands, Alura put the Minnie ears on her head and started to sob.

"I love you both so much," she sniffled, grabbing both stuffed characters and clutching them tightly to her chest. "Thank you!"

"Of course, baby girl," Lena told her. "Like we said, we're very, very proud of you and the good work you do in school."

" _And_ your good behavior," Kara interrupted, making sure to point this out and reinforce Alura's recent ability to stay out of trouble.

"I'll be good, I promise!" Alura exclaimed. "I promise!"

"We know, sugar," Lena said with a warm smile. "That's why we're taking you. We're going this summer, once school's out!"

"YES!" the young blonde shouted, pumping her fist in the air. "This is gonna be SO awesome! I'm gonna get to meet Mickey and Minnie and—"

"And _all_ the princesses!" Kara cut in, grinning.

"THIS IS AMAZING!"

"True. But… it's time for you to head to bed, okay?" her mother told her, kissing her forehead.

"But I—"

"Listen to your mother, please," Lena cut in, having developed slightly more confidence in her new role as a second mother to Alura.

It felt good to step in and reinforce what her partner had said. Even though they were only dating, she felt more at home with them than she ever had with her own family. She was happier than she'd ever been. And she wasn't about to let anything – _anything_ – get in the way of that.

"Okay, okay," Alura huffed, rising from the couch. "Tuck me in?"

Both women nodded and followed her to the bedroom where Alura climbed in bed and they both kissed her cheek goodnight and shared 'I love you's.

Once Alura was sound asleep, the women made their way to Kara's bedroom.

"That was _awesome,_ " the Kryptonian blurted, flopping down on the bed with her head landing on the pillow.

"Yeah, it was," Lena said with a smile, sliding her slacks off and sitting on the bed as she unbuttoned her blouse.

It wasn't as though Kara had never seen this before – of course, she'd seen her naked several times – but the sight of Lena undressing in front of her was enough to make her mouth water.

"L-Lena?" Kara asked shyly, touching the woman's bicep from behind as she sat up in the bed.

"Yes, love?" Lena replied, turning to face the blonde.

"Do you, uh… Do you wanna… um…"

Laughing at her partner's sudden shyness, Lena smirked at Kara before bumping noses with her and whispering, "Of course I do. When don't I?"

"I dunno…" Kara confessed, blushing. "I just thought… Maybe you'd be tired or not want to or—"

"Kara. I always want you."

Raising an eyebrow, the hero watched as Lena slowly slid her blouse off her shoulders and tossed it to the floor.

"I…"

"Ravish me, you idiot," Lena ordered, climbing up fully onto the bed and straddling Kara's thighs as she grinned down at the woman who was so clearly captivated by her beauty.

"But I'm not undressed," Kara protested, blinking.

"Then get undressed."

"But you're—"

"Now," Lena said sharply, dismounting to allow Kara to nearly tear her own clothes off.

She wasn't nearly as patient as Lena was, and certainly not patient enough to make a show of the gesture like Lena had. Instead, heart pounding in her chest, Kara scrambled out of her clothes and pushed Lena down onto the bed, jerking her panties – the only article of clothing left – down past Lena's ankles and tossed them to the floor.

"Take me," the brunette husked seductively, placing her hands on the hero's hips.

Kara nodded and reached for the bedside table drawer, where she removed their favorite toy – the strap-on.

"Please," Lena whined, watching as Kara fastened the straps around her hips.

Saying, "Of course, my darling," Kara spread Lena's legs and positioned herself between them.

"I need you inside me."

Kara's stomach dropped as her heart leapt into her throat. Dirty talk was definitely a turn-on. Not only that, but seeing Lena desperate for sexual attention also sent an intense wave of desire shooting through Kara's veins like a heavy dose of heroin.

Gripping Lena's hips – _nearly_ hard enough to bruise, but not quite – Kara slid the toy into Lena's sex. It slid in easily, as Lena was already heavily soaked her own arousal.

"I love you," Kara whispered, upon hearing a loud whimper from her partner. "I love you so much."

Another whimper and a quick nod was all she received in return, but the blonde knew what this meant. Lena felt the same. This still stunned her every day when Lena returned her sentiments. What did she see in her? Kara wasn't sure, but she was eternally grateful.

Tearing herself from that thought and back into focus on her task, Kara drew her hips back slowly, tantalizing her lover with steady movements.

"Feels so good," Lena husked. "Please, don't stop, Kara."

"I won't, Lee," the Kryptonian whispered back. "I couldn't if I wanted to."

"Good," the brunette panted. "Because I fucking need you. Make me cum, Kar. Please."

Kara nodded obediently and thrust just slightly fasted, working up a rhythm that drove her partner wild. Kara could tell, too. Lena was writhing beneath her, gripping the sheets tightly.

When she noticed this, the hero scolded her, "No. Touch me."

Lena obeyed immediately, scrambling to reach behind Kara's back. Without much thought, Lena's nails dug into Kara's back, and the blonde felt an intense shiver spread through her body, leaving goosebumps in its wake.

"That's it, baby. Good," Kara praised her, making Lena's back arch as she made her thrusts heavier by the minute.

She wanted it to last. Really, she did. But the sounds Lena was making were almost pushing _her_ to the edge. Just the sound of Lena's moans was enough to soak her. When she saw the brunette bite her lip to muffle the sounds, Kara shook her head.

"No. Let me hear how good it feels."

"We'll wake Alura," Lena protested, then let out a sudden gasp, followed by a high-pitched moan as Kara's thrusts became more forceful. " _Shit_. Fuck, Kara."

"I'm trying," Kara teased, bucking hard and slamming her hips forward as she gripped Lena's to hold her still.

Regardless, Lena tried to thrust up to meet her lover's movements, but was stilled by the strength of Kara's hands.

"Please. Deeper. _Please_ ," the teacher panted, squeezing her eyes shut as her nails dug deeper into Kara's skin. "I'm so close."

"Don't," Kara begged, stilling her movements with one last movement to bury the toy completely to its hilt in her lover's sex. "Please. Just a little longer."

"Are you… Are you gonna—"

Kara nodded as soon as Lena opened her eyes, feeling her own wave of arousal dripping onto her thighs.

"Feels so good thrusting into you," Kara confessed. "Just a little longer."

When Lena bit her lip again and tried to slow the desperate lifting of her hips to take the shaft deeper into her center, Kara let out a groan, feeling her push back one last time.

"Yes," Kara moaned. "That's my girl. My precious girl. I'm… Shit. Lena. Fuck. I'm gonna c— _Ah! Fuck!"_

The last word was hiccupped as the hero tried to quiet herself, to keep from waking her daughter who was sleeping soundly just down the hallway. Taking advantage of Kara's distracting wave of intense pleasure, Lena took the opportunity to thrust up hard and fast, shoving the toy deeper into her.

"Don't stop," she begged, feeling Kara still herself as she came.

Whining from the pressure and friction, Kara forced herself to thrust through her orgasm, sending her partner far, far over the edge, all at once.

"I love you," she blurted, her climax drawn out by a combination effect of the increased pressure on her clit and the sound of Lena's moans. "I love you. I love you."

"Love you," Lena breathed, then let out a loud moan.

Kara immediately covered Lena's mouth to stifle the noise as she bucked hard and fast into the woman's sex.

"Stop. Stop," the brunette panted, trying to cease the movement of her own hips as she began to come down – just slightly – from the intense orgasm she'd just been given.

But the blonde shook her head vigorously as she slowed slightly but did not discontinue her movements.

The sensation of the shaft of the toy sliding in and out, creating friction on the inside of the walls of her core drove Lena into a second orgasm, which she gasped through as she struggled to stay quiet.

"Good girl," Kara praised her again. "Good girl. I'm—"

But Kara was interrupted by a second orgasm of her own as Lena's nails scratched her hard.

"Shit," she gasped. "Can't—"

"Please. More," Lena begged, not having thought she could even come a second time, but longing for a third now that she'd been proven wrong.

On the brink of delirium, Kara began to thrust wildly, with no rhythm at all that Lena could match. When her thrusting brought Lena great pleasure, but no third orgasm, Kara reached between them and roughly brushed Lena's clit with her thumb. She didn't even have to circle it; Lena came again right then and there.

"Fff—" she started to cry out, but the hero's hand covered her mouth again, just in time to stop the sound.

Kara shifted her movements to an excruciatingly slow pace to carefully bring Lena down from her high, and as soon as it was over, the brunette pulled her down and hugged her tightly, feeling the slickness of their bodies made them stick together with sweat and cum.

"I love you," Kara whispered, stroking Lena's hair back.

Responding immediately, Lena said, "I love you too."

"Can I ask you something?" the hero questioned, slowly pulling back to look into her partner's bright eyes.

Lena nodded and told her, "Anything at all."

Clearing her throat – mostly to make sure her voice didn't crack from the anxiety she was feeling – Kara asked her, "Lena… Do you want to move in with us?"

Blinking away her shock, Lena paused for quite some time before stating, "I thought you'd never ask."


	16. Chapter 16

**THAT SUMMER**

"You ready, champ?" Kara asked brightly, loading the last suitcase into the car.

"No, wait!" Alura cried, reaching into her backpack and pulling out the Minnie ears before positioning them on her head. "Now I'm ready!"

Laughing, Lena leaned in and kissed Alura's temple, saying, "In the car, silly girl. Time to go."

Scrambling into the back seat, Alura began to bounce excitedly as she fastened her seatbelt.

Once the four of them were in the car – Alex in the back with Alura and Lena in the front with Kara driving – they headed for the airport.

Throughout the flight, Alura continually whined, "Are we there yet?" driving all three of the adults to the brink of insanity.

"Alura!" Kara finally snapped. "If you ask one more time, we're gonna catch the next flight from Orlando and head back home!"

"Okay, okay!" her daughter huffed. "I'll be good."

"And yes, Alura," Alex commented. "We're about 30 minutes away."

"YES!" the girl cried, pumping the air with her fist. "I can't wait to meet Mickey and Minnie!"

"We're going to dinner at Disney Springs tonight first," Lena told her. "But tomorrow, you'll meet them when we go to Magic Kingdom!"

"Aww," Alura pouted. "I wanted to meet them tonight."

"We won't have time," Lena explained. "It's a bit of a hassle to get to the parks. But I promise, we'll get going first thing in the morning and be there for rope drop."

"What's rope drop?"

"When they open the gates in the morning!" Kara cried happily. "You're gonna love it."

"I bet!" Alura nearly shouted.

"Shh," the hero laughed. "You're being loud and making people stare."

Alura looked around and realized that her mother was correct. Huffing, she crossed her arms over her chest and went silent.

When they finally landed in Orlando and stepped off the plane, the girl gaped, "Oh, my Gosh! This airport is huge! Can we go into the Disney store?!"

Kara looked to the other two adults, who both nodded in response. Seeing this and not waiting for a verbal answer, Alura grabbed Kara and Lena's hands, bolting for the store as she tugged them along behind her.

They spent a good while in the store, with Alura deliberating on a stuffed animal after her mother had conceded, "Just _one_ thing."

Eventually, she dug through the large pile of plush toys and found a small stuffed animal Pegasus from the movie Hercules and let out a loud squeal.

"This one!" she cried. "Please?"

Lena smiled and answered, "Good choice, honey. You ready to go? We gotta catch the bus to the hotel."

Alura nodded brightly, and Kara paid for the toy before the four of them rushed for the bus pick up station on the ground floor of the airport.

Given the special occasion, they had decided to splurge on their hotel and got two adjoining rooms at the Grand Floridian resort, so that Kara and Lena could have their privacy.

"Are you sure you don't want to room with Alex and Alura?" Lena had asked, looking somewhat confused.

"Absolutely sure," Kara had laughed. "Absolutely unequivocally sure."

Once they arrived at Alex and Alura's room, the two flopped down on the bed, Alura hugging her stuffed animal to her chest and saying, "It's beautiful in here!"

"Absolutely gorgeous!" Alex chimed in with a grin.

"Alright, ladies. We're gonna go get set up and we'll meet you outside the room in fifteen to head to our dinner reservation downstairs, okay?"

"You got it, dude," Alura agreed, sitting up and hopping off the bed.

"Don't call me dude!" Kara called out as her daughter hurried to the bathroom.

Alex just laughed and shook her head.

"No quickies," she scolded the two women. "I don't wanna be late."

Rolling her eyes, Kara shot back, "Yeah, right. Like I'd ever be late for dinner here."

The hotel's dining was as fancy as the hotel itself, and Kara wasn't about to make a fool of them by causing them to be late. That being the case, she made her way next door to their room and changed into a more respectable outfit.

"I'm so excited to be here," Lena told her with a smile, kissing her lips. "I can't even believe how ridiculously pumped I am to meet the princesses tomorrow!"

"Aww," Kara teased. "That's so cute! Who's your favorite?"

"Belle, for sure!"

"Of course," the blonde laughed. "Bookworm."

Wanting to scowl but unable to hide her grin, the teacher kissed her partner again and said, "You know it. _And_ you love it."

"Maybe."

After a quick, tight embrace, the two made their way out of their room, making sure to wear the 'Magic Bands' that unlocked the door on their wrists before stepping outside to meet Alex and Alura.

"Ready?" Kara asked, beaming.

All three nodded and made their way downstairs to the restaurant, with Alura skipping enthusiastically the whole way.

~!~!~

Dinner was unexpectedly without incident. Alura was on her best behavior, and even Alex was too excited to cause trouble (or encourage her niece to do so). Bubbling with excitement – likely even more so than her daughter – Kara had squeezed Lena's hand under the table, earning a kiss on the cheek from her partner.

Back upstairs in their rooms, Kara, Lena, and Alex all tucked Alura into bed, with much protest from Alura herself.

"I don't wanna sleep!" she'd cried.

"Alura, shh!" Kara scolded her. "Other people are trying to sleep."

"No, they're not! It's like 8:30! Why can't I stay up?"

"Trust me, sweetheart," Alex chimed in. "You're gonna wanna be rested for tomorrow. Big day at Magic Kingdom!"

With a huff, understanding that her aunt was likely correct, Alura rolled over and pulled the covers up under her armpits.

With a warm smile, feeling an intense wave of affection, Lena gently tugged the blanket out from under Alura's arm and covered the girl's shoulder with it.

"Get some sleep, little angel," she whispered, kissing the girl's cheek.

When Lena looked over at her partner, the woman was rolling her eyes.

After saying goodnight to Alex, the couple went next door to the adjacent room and shut the door behind them.

"Angel?" Kara laughed. "Seriously?"

"Of course!" Lena teased. "My little girl would _never_ cause trouble!"

Rolling her eyes again, Kara shoved Lena's shoulder playfully and sat down on the bed, asking, "So, did you enjoy dinner?"

"It was marvelous," Lena sighed happily, sitting down beside her on the bed.

"You're marvelous," Kara breathed, cupping the back of Lena's head and pulling her in for a kiss.

"Kara—" Lena started to protest. "We—should—"

"Sleep," Kara laughed. "I know."

"You're gonna be dead tomorrow if you don't—"

"I'll be fine. Will you?"

The devilish smirk on Kara's face told Lena exactly what she wanted.

After a pause and biting down on her lower lip, the brunette answered, "Yeah. I'll be fine."

"Good," the hero said with a smile. "Then make love to me."

Lena nodded shyly and reached out to unbutton her lover's blouse.

"I love you," Kara whispered, kissing her lips softly as Lena slid the blouse down and off her, moving next to unclasp her bra.

"I—" Lena tried, but was cut off by a particularly passionate kiss. "Love—you too—"

Feeling desire swell in her belly with the excitement she always felt around her partner, Kara found herself unable to slow down as she nearly tore the woman's clothes from her body, throwing them halfway across the room in various directions.

"Kara—"

"Shh. Kiss me."

This command Lena obeyed with fervor, kissing Kara hard on the mouth as she jerked the woman closer until their naked bodies were pressed together.

Wasting no time, Kara quickly checked between Lena's legs for any signs of arousal. She wasn't disappointed when her fingers pulled away soaked in what she knew indicated her lover was more than ready.

"That was quick," the Kryptonian teased.

Scowling, Lena huffed, "Shut up and fuck me."

With a broad grin of triumph, the blonde plunged her fingers into Lena's sex and curled them, making the other woman's back arch.

After a few moments, with Lena writhing beneath her, Kara stopped abruptly and blurted, "Can you believe we're having sex at a Disney World resort?"

"Kara!" Lena gasped, exasperated by the lack of stimulation, as her lover's fingers were buried inside her, without moving. "Focus!"

"Sorry!" the hero yelped, blushing and resuming her mission.

Soon, Lena was panting from the effort of lifting her hips to meet Kara's movements, and the intense pressure building in her core.

"K-Kara," she stammered, clawing hard at the hero's back, making the Kryptonian shiver.

"I love you."

"I—I love you too," Lena managed, as her back arched one final time, her climax tearing through her.

"That's it, baby," Kara purred, curling her fingers with slow, steady force. "Good girl."

Sweat-soaked and dripping onto her own thighs, Lena let out a high-pitched whimper as her lover brought her down slowly her from her high. When the waves of pleasure finally slowed and Kara removed her fingers from her core, Lena tugged her down hard, holding her tightly.

"I love you," she whispered, her eyes suddenly welling with tears.

"Babe?" Kara gasped, when she started to pull away and saw the tears in her partner's eyes. "What's wrong?"

"N-Nothing," Lena stuttered, reaching up to rub the tears from her eyes as she shook her head.

Kara's reflexes, superhuman, were too quick for Lena, so when Kara grabbed her wrists in a gentle hold, Lena was surprised.

"You're okay," the Kryptonian promised, kissing away the tears. "I've got you. What just happened, though?"

After stopping to catch her breath, Lena confessed, "It was just… intense. And I just felt this…overwhelming… love for you." After a pause, Lena blushed brightly and blurted, "Wow, that's stupid. I'm sorry…"

"Lena, no!" Kara cried. "Don't be sorry. It's really okay. I cried our first time, remember?"

Lena blinked and thought back to that night they'd spent together. It was true. Kara had cried, and it hadn't been a bad thing.

"That's… different."

"No, it's not. Not unless something's wrong that you're not telling me…"

"No!" Lena shouted, sitting up suddenly. "No, baby, no. Everything's fine. Better than fine. It's great. I love being here with you…"

Lips curling into a broad smile, Kara told her partner, "I love it too. Happiest place on Earth."

Finally breaking into a grin, Lena nodded her head and said, "Now, let's get you taken care of so we can sleep."

When Lena moved her hand between Kara's legs, though, the blonde stopped her.

"Sleep, baby. It's already been a late night, and it's gonna be an early morning."

"But—"

"I'm okay. I promise. Just really wanted to see you cum."

Kara's warm smile told Lena that she was genuine, so Lena kissed her lips and said goodnight.

Shortly after the two curled up together and got comfortable, they were both asleep.


	17. Chapter 17

The next day, Lena was woken to a loud exclamation of, "LENA! WAKE UP!"

Sitting straight up in bed as though there might be a fire or earthquake or some other kind of natural disaster, Lena shouted, "What? What?!"

"Uppy time! IT'S TIME TO GO TO MAGIC KINGDOM! We're having breakfast at Be Our Guest!"

Groaning, the brunette fell back onto the bed and covered her face with her pillow, grumbling, "What the fuck time is it anyway?"

"Four-thirty!"

"WHAT?!" Lena screamed. "Are you fucking kidding me? Go back to bed!"

"Can't! Reservation is for 8 when they open, and we've gotta catch the monorail there. And you _definitely_ need to shower."

Kara couldn't help but laugh at her own joke as she bounced on the bed.

"What about you? Why don't you go shower first and leave me alone for a while?"

"I did shower!" her hero cried happily. " _And_ I'm all dressed!"

Removing the pillow and squinting up at her partner, Lena gave Kara the once-over. She couldn't lie: the girl looked _sharp._ White slacks with a light pink button up Oxford blouse, showing just a bit of cleavage, which was accentuated by a beautiful necklace (a key, with a hidden Mickey on the handle) with the pendant resting just above her breasts.

"So you are," Lena sighed, slowly sitting up again. "Can I at least have another half hour? Go wake up the girls."

Frowning, Kara started to stand up, but Lena grabbed her hand, held her back, and kissed her lips.

"Just a few more minutes, baby," Lena pleaded. "I'm not good at mornings."

"You're a teacher!"

"Shh. Go wake the girls."

"She'll want you there too."

"Kara, please. My head is already pounding from the heart attack you just gave me."

Biting her lip, Kara nodded and sulked all the way out of the room.

Kara's Magic Band only unlocked her own room, so she had to knock on the girls' door.

Unmistakably, she heard the commotion inside the room in response.

"Fuck off!" Alex shouted, and Kara immediately heard the sound of a shoe hitting the back of the door.

She couldn't help but laugh when Alura threw the door open with an exceptionally wide grin.

"Mama!" she cried. "Is it time?"

"Almost!" Kara exclaimed, lifting the girl up off the floor and embracing her tightly. "I need you to go shower, brush your teeth, and get dressed in the outfit we talked about while I wake Auntie up, okay? Can you be a good girl and do that?"

Alura nodded diligently as she was set back down and bolted off to the bathroom as Kara let herself in and sat down beside a very sleepy Alex on her bed.

"Morning, sis," she said softly, ruffling Alex's hair.

"Fuck off. It's fucking four-thirty."

"Actually, it's 4:43."

"Shut _up,_ dude. We do _not_ need to be up this early."

"We're gonna have to wait for the monorail, and then wait to get into the park to see rope drop, and you and Alura _both_ need to shower and get ready. So don't give me that."

Groaning, just as Lena had done, Alex reluctantly sat up in bed, mumbling, "Alright, alright. I'm up."

Suddenly, Kara placed her hand on top of Alex's and said, "I love you, Alex."

Tilting her head slightly, her sister asked, "Where's that coming from?"

"I can't tell my sister I love her for no reason?"

"You can… but you're not. What's in your head right now?"

Sighing, Kara looked into Alex's eyes and confessed, "Life is short…"

"Not for you," Alex laughed, playfully nudging her sister's shoulder.

But Kara wasn't laughing.

"I know," she said simply, her expression stoic and serious.

"Kara… What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong. I'm just… really, really happy. And that reminds me how fleeting life is, unfortunately. My head always goes there when special things happen. I just…" Lowering her voice, Kara continued, "I always just wonder… how much more of this I have, you know?"

"Jesus, Kara. That's morbid as Hell."

"I know," the blonde sighed, dropping her gaze. "Anyway, I gotta go wake up Lena. I told her she could have a few more minutes."

"What?!" Alex gasped. "Why does _she_ get a few more minutes and I have to get up?!"

"Because it took me this long just to wake your ass up," Kara laughed, leaning in to kiss her sister's cheek. "I love you, Alex."

"Hey…" her sister said softly, taking her hand before she could stand. "I love you too. It's gonna be okay. Everything's gonna be okay. I'm right here. Stay in the moment, okay? We're together, in the most magical place on Earth. Enjoy yourself and try to stop worrying, alright?"

Kara nodded, forced a small smile, then left the girls to get ready.

When she returned to her room, she found Lena slowly sliding her legs out of the bed and out from under the covers.

"Morning," Kara said quietly. "How's your head?"

"Oh, now you care about my head?" Lena chuckled, pushing a hand through her messy hair.

Frowning, Kara said, "I didn't mean to give you a headache. I just got excited. I'm sorry. This is just… a really big deal for me."

"I know that, baby. It's a big deal for me too."

"Go ahead and get ready. I know it takes you forever."

"Oh, for fuck's sake. Is that why you got me up so early? Because you think I take 'forever' to get ready?"

Kara smirked and nodded her head.

At first, Lena looked pissed, but then, to Kara's surprise, she replied, "Good. You're right."

With that, Lena groggily stumbled into the bathroom to get ready for the day.

~!~!~

Lena and Alex were still tired, not having had their coffee yet – Kara had rushed them past the dining hall to make sure they made it to the monorail before anyone else – while they waited in line for their transportation to the park. Kara and Alura, however, were both bouncing on their heels.

"Mom!" Alura belted, jerking on Lena's hand. "We're gonna meet Mickey later!"

"And the Beast, at breakfast!" Kara chimed in with a grin.

"Yeah!"

"Mhmm," Lena mumbled with a yawn.

Alex just rolled her eyes, grumbling, "I hate you morning people."

"You'll both be fine once you get some coffee," Kara laughed, wrapping one arm around each of the women. "I love you guys, but you're total party poopers."

"I'm so hungry!" Alura shouted suddenly. "I could eat a horse!"

"They only serve Tiger at Disney World," Alex said matter-of-factly.

Alura's mouth fell open when she saw the deathly serious look on her aunt's face.

"ALEX!" Kara snapped. "Don't tell her that!"

"Why?! Is it true?!" Alura gasped.

"No," Lena cut in, rolling her eyes. Then, looking over at Alex tiredly, she sighed, "It's too early for this, Alex."

"I know, I know," Alex laughed. "I just couldn't help myself."

~!~!~

They made it to Disney's Magic Kingdom with a half hour to spare, leaving Kara and Alura to anxiously bounce on their heels as they stared up at the train station entrance to the park where the rope drop ceremony would be performed. Unable to contain her excitement, Alura took Kara's hand with her left and Lena's hand with her right, squeezing tightly as she vibrated with excitement.

"Is it time?" she whined, looking up at Kara.

"Almost!" her mother told her. "Be patient. It'll be worth it, I promise!"

And it was. The short performance was enough to excite even Alex and Lena, and as they each scanned their magic bands to enter the park, the excitement bubbled over in Alura to the point of explosion.

"WE'RE HERE!" she screamed, as soon as they stepped onto Main Street where the shops were.

Despite Alura pulling hard on her hand, Kara froze immediately upon catching sight of the castle ahead. When the three others looked over at her, shocked by the sudden lack of forward momentum, they found that Kara's cheeks were soaked with tears.

"Kara?!" Alex gasped, seeing her sister's expression. "Are you—"

"Home," Kara choked out, gripping Alura's hand tightly.

When Alex looked over at Lena, she saw that the brunette was crying too, though more subtly.

"God, you guys are saps," Alex laughed. "Let's go! We're gonna be late for breakfast! It's at the back of the park."

"Yeah, Ma! Let's go!" Alura cried, jumping up and down several times, until her mother finally took a few steps forward.

Lena leaned closer to Kara and whispered, "Thank you," as she wiped her tears away.

"You're welcome, sweetheart. I knew you'd love it," Kara told her with a smile, using a tissue to dry her own tears as well.

"I do," Lena confessed. "It really is the happiest place on Earth."

"Totally!" Alura piped up, tugging hard on their hands to propel them forward.

Soon, they were at the restaurant, where they were seated in one of the three themed rooms: the ballroom. With a high ceiling painted with gorgeous clouds and cherubs, complete with several huge chandeliers, the ballroom was bar far, the most elegant of the three rooms. After ordering their breakfast, Lena and Kara took a walk around the other two rooms – the rose gallery and the West Wing, which were exactly as they were in the Beauty and the Beast film.

Needless to say, the four enjoyed their meal immensely and had no complaints. Alura and Lena spent the whole time staring at the ceiling and having to be reminded by Kara to eat. (Kara, of course, got an exceptionally large meal and was still finished before the other three.) After their meal, once they'd had their picture taken with the Beast, they finally made their way back out into the park to begin their next adventure: the rides!

"So, what'd you think, guys?" Kara asked with a grin, upon exiting.

"I loved the ballroom. And the stain-glass windows on the way out! It was just like the movie!" Lena exclaimed happily, looking quite surprised.

"And the Beast was awesome!" Alura chimed in.

"And the food was great!" Alex added with a grin.

Kara nodded in agreement with their assessment of the popular establishment, and the four made their way to their first ride: Space Mountain.

Of course, this was a huge mistake, (Alura's idea), as both Lena and Alex got incredibly nauseous after barely surviving the huge indoor roller coaster.

"I hate you," Alex groaned, shoving her sister.

"It was Alura's idea!" Kara laughed.

Chiming in, Alura blurted, And it was _awesome_!"

"Okay, it was awesome," Alex laughed. "But I still feel like I'm gonna puke."

Lena couldn't speak, for fear of expelling the contents of her stomach on the asphalt in front of them, so she simply nodded her head in agreement.

Luckily, they took time to slowly browse around the various gift shops before venturing to their next ride, and the next ride they chose – this time together – was Peter Pan's Flight. Slow, easy, relaxing… but most of all, fun!

"That was epic!" Alura cried, upon finishing the ride and saying goodbye to her view of Neverland. "Let's go again!"

But her mother shook her head and told her, "We've gotta make sure we try all the rides you want to do at least once. If we have extra time, we can go back and do some again. But I doubt we'll have time. Can we go on to the next one?"

"Okay!" Alura agreed.

Then, Kara asked, "How about Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin?"

"What's that one again?" Alex asked. "Are we gonna get sick? Cause if we're gonna sick, I—"

"No, you just sit in the cart and shoot the little aliens with your laser!" Kara explained excitedly.

Alura squealed with excitement, nodded vigorously, and pulled Kara and Lena along behind her as she headed in the direction of the ride they'd chosen.

After a few more rides, they had lunch at Skipper Canteen, all of them ordering more food than they could reasonably eat (except Kara, who finished her meal without difficulty and still wanted a dessert). With that done, and then another four rides under their belts, Kara checked her watch and stopped in the middle of the street.

"Alex… We gotta go," she said, her heart skipping a beat at the prospect of what was to come.

"Where are we going now?" Alura asked excitedly.

"Mums are going to go do some adult things for a little while. You and Auntie are gonna grab dinner, baby," Kara explained.

"What? I wanna go!"

"Wait, what?" Lena asked. "You never said we were splitting up… Why are we—"

"We'll see you guys later, okay, honey?" Kara interrupted her partner, kissing Alura's cheek and then her sister's.

"I'll take good care of the monkey," Alex promised with a broad grin. Then, turning to Alura – knowing she had to do _something_ to distract her from the fact that Kara and Lena were about to go do something without her – she asked, "So… You wanna have dessert before dinner and get one of those awesome Mickey head balloons?!"

"Yeah!" Alura shouted happily, tugging Alex in the direction of the balloon vendor, not offering the other women so much as a wave goodbye.

"What are you up to?" Lena asked, as soon as Alex and Alura were out of earshot.

"We're going to dinner."

"But what about—"

"This is for you and me," Kara explained. "Please, just trust me."

Raising an eyebrow in suspicion, Lena shrugged her shoulders and followed Kara along the path, squeezing her hand tightly the whole way.


	18. Chapter 18

"Oh, holy shit…" Lena breathed, upon realizing they were entering the castle. "You got reservations at Cinderella's Royal Table?"

Lena had read about this restaurant, but never imagined such an expensive outing would be something they could manage. But here they were, holding hands as they stepped into the door to the castle, beneath the sign reading, 'Cinderella's Royal Table.'

"Of course," Kara said lightly, dropping her arm around Lena's waist. "I wanted something special, just for the two of us. You know I love Alex and Alura, but I wanted… us time. Something romantic."

As soon as they were inside and Lena saw the incredible high ceilings and elegant windows opening out to the park outside, where every building was illuminated with radiant lights, she gasped.

"Oh, God, Kara," she stammered. "This… This is amazing."

The chandeliers above created an ambiance of romance and royalty, and it was absolutely overwhelming to both of them. It was better than Kara could have hoped, and more impressive than Lena ever could have imagined.

Once they were seated – Lena still staring around in awe – and had ordered their drinks, Kara stood up and excused herself to the bathroom.

Upon her return, as soon as she sat down, she began to wring her hands beneath the table, feeling her heart race at an unreasonable speed. Thankfully, Lena didn't notice. Slowly, Kara was able to regain her composure and calm herself by following Lena's gaze around the room, where they both admired their elegant surroundings. It was a fancier establishment than was to Kara's usual liking, but as she glanced around the enormous dining room, she was grateful that she'd treated Lena to the experience.

Their meals were served promptly by a courteous cast member, and those too were better than either could have imagined. Kara's steak was cooked to perfection, and Lena's chicken was tender and flavorful, truly fitting of a signature establishment. As soon as Lena ate her last bite, Kara felt her heart begin to kickstart again, like a failing engine finally turning over. It was time.

Right on cue, the cast member returned, placing a covered plate in front of Lena, without removing the top.

"Lena…" Kara started, her voice cracking. "I have loved you since the moment I saw you. You've become part of my family, and I know now that I could never live without you. So I need to ask…"

Kara shot the cast member a quick glance, and the woman slowly removed the cover of the plate. This revealed a plate of rose petals, on top of which was a small glass slipper, engraved with roses, with Kara's mother's engagement ring sitting inside.

With this finally revealed, Kara stood up and knelt down beside Lena, placing her hand on the woman's knee.

Shaking with anticipation and anxiety, Kara looked up into Lena's eyes to find the woman crying.

Swallowing the lump in her own throat, the nervous Kryptonian managed, "Lena Luthor, you have always been my princess… but today I want to know… will you be my wife?"

Nearly fainting – she actually swayed in her chair, and Kara thought she might fall – Lena nodded her head rapidly, tears now streaming relentlessly down her pale, perfect cheeks.

"Yes?" Kara pressed, needing to hear the word.

Lean squeaked out an excited, "Yes," before dragging her new fiancé to her feet and hugging her tightly, earning a round of applause from the other guests at the establishment.

"Good work, Miss Kara!" a woman said from behind them, and when they looked, they found Cinderella (or at least… the young, beautiful actress who played her) standing beside them. "And congratulations, you two!"

"Hi!" Kara exclaimed excitedly, beaming from ear to ear, her cheeks as bright as a rose petal. "Thank you so much!"

"Absolutely! Congratulations again. I wish you the most magical Happily Ever After!"

Lena was staring, not yet having met a princess and feeling utterly overwhelmed by the entire thing.

After they'd both gotten hugs from Her Royal Highness, Cinderella, and sat back down at the table to wait for their desserts, the two went silent. When Kara realized she was simply sitting there, gazing into the eyes of her princess, without really saying anything, she shook herself from her stupor and straightened up in her chair.

"I know I didn't let you pick your ring, but I wanted it to be a surprise, so I figured the placeholder of my mother's engagement ring would suffice. Is that alright?"

"Oh, my gosh, Kara!" Lena exclaimed. "This is your mother's ring?"

"Y-Yeah," Kara stammered. "Is that bad?"

"No! I'm honored to wear such a treasured possession. Thank you so much, darling."

Looking relieved and clearing her throat, the hero told her, "I was hoping to have you pick out a replacement ring when we get home, at some point. Something special for you that you really like." When Lena nodded, Kara asked anxiously, "So… was that… okay?"

Lena had to laugh at this. Not at Kara, just at the ridiculousness of the question.

"I—" the hero started, panicked by her partner's laughter.

"It was perfect," the brunette interrupted with a broad smile. "You are so amazing, and I can't wait to be your wife."

It was Kara's turn to cry then, and when she tried to speak, the words stuck tightly in her throat. Not a sound escaped when she willed it to, so Lena simply leaned in and reached out to wipe her tears.

"I love you," she said softly, then squeezed Kara's hand.

Still unable to speak, the blonde simply nodded her head and wiped more tears away.

"Does Alura know?" Lena asked suddenly, after a moment of silence. Kara shook her head, so Lena pressed on, asking, "Alex?"

Kara had to smile at this, regaining some of her composure as she answered, "Of course."

"That kid is gonna flip out," Lena laughed, shaking her head.

"Of course she's going to flip out," Kara chuckled. "She's wanted you to be her second mom since she met you."

"What, really?"

"Absolutely. She was pissed when I didn't kiss you on the first date to get ice cream."

"Wow," was all Lena could really say, surprised that Alura had been so incredibly supportive of their relationship from the very beginning.

"She was gunning for me to marry you from day one. Remember when she suggested we have an ice cream date every week, on our very first date?"

Unable to hide her smile, the brunette nodded, saying, "I suppose you're right. The signs were all there."

"I'm so glad it worked out with us. And… honestly, Lena… I was head over heels for you from day one, too. I knew I loved you very, very early on. It was terrifying, honestly. Kind of like tonight. But it was so, so worth it."

Lena nodded with enthusiasm, agreeing, "Absolutely. Wait… When did you first know you loved me? How soon?"

Kara shrugged and mumbled, "I dunno," looking down at the table.

Raising an eyebrow, Kara's partner examined her face before commenting, "I think you do know, Kara."

Biting her lip, the Kryptonian lifted her head and confessed, "After our first date alone. I was talking to Alex, and she said something about my being in love. I was immediately like, 'No way,' but as soon as I said it, I knew she was right." After a pause, Kara asked, "When did you know?"

"That I loved you? The same night. When you had to run, after kissing me, I knew I would never be able to stop craving your lips."

Feeling herself swoon, the hero squeezed her partner's hand and offered a warm smile, saying, "You're perfect, Lena."

"You are too, my love."

With perfect timing, the cast member appeared with their dessert: a plate specifically created for them: a white chocolate slipper filled with chocolate mousse on a 'pillow' of angel food cake with fresh berries, and their names written in chocolate drizzle on the plate.

"Wow," Lena breathed. "You went all out, huh?"

"Only the royal treatment for my princess," Kara said, beaming at her fiancé.

The dessert was as delicious as it looked, and the two finished it in silence, stealing loving glances at each other between bites.

Once they were finished and had said goodbye to Cinderella and the cast members who had filled their night with extra Disney Magic, they made their way outside, just in time to hunt down Alex and Alura before the fireworks.

"Hi!" Alura shouted as soon as she caught sight of them, rushing into their arms and hugging them both simultaneously. "Did you have fun? I had fun! Auntie Alex and I went on adventures and ate amazing food!"

"We did have fun," Kara told her with a nervous smile, then looked over at her partner. "You wanna tell her?"

Lena nodded and knelt down in front of Alura, saying, "Sweetheart, there's something your mom and I want to tell you."

Alex was nearly bouncing on her heels with excitement, just as Kara and Alura had been that morning. She was grinning broadly as she waited for the big reveal.

"Okay… Then tell me!" Alura cried excitedly.

Lena held out her hand with a smile and told her, "Your mom asked me to marry her, and I said yes."

"YES!" Alura screamed, loudly enough to make the heads of other park-goers turn in their direction. Pumping her fist in the air and leaping off the pavement, Alura hugged Kara tightly and told her, "Now I'm _officially_ going to have two moms!"

"Yes, ma'am," Kara agreed happily.

"Always," Lena added, giving Kara a flirtatious sideways glance.

"Best day EVER!" Alura shouted, jumping up and down.

Kara laughed and picked her daughter up, spinning her around, agreeing, "Absolutely, it is."

"Nice work, Kar," Alex commented with a warm smile. "I'm proud of you. And Lena… Welcome to the family, hun."

Lena had to blush at this, feeling affection swell in her chest.

"I love you guys," she told them. "I want nothing more than to be a part of this beautiful family. Thank you."

Alex laughed and said, "You don't have to thank us. We're the lucky ones. You're an absolute treasure. Right, Kar?"

The hero nodded enthusiastically and kissed the warm skin of her partner's cheek, telling her, "We love you, Lena."

"Yeah!" Alura chimed in. Then, suddenly, as music started to play from the speakers, the girl exclaimed, "The fireworks are starting!"

The women laughed at Alura's excitement and sat down on the nearby bench, looking up at the sky for any signs of the show as the story began and images were projected up onto the castle before them.

"This place is so magical," Lena commented to the blonde.

"I couldn't have hoped for more Disney magic than you agreeing to become my wife," Kara confessed with a smile, wrapping her arms around Lena's shoulders.

"Me either," the brunette agreed, kissing her lover's lips before looking back up at the sky, where fireworks had begun to explode in the most beautiful display any of them had ever seen.

By the time they made it back to the hotel, Alex and Alura were exhausted, but the love birds were still bursting with excitement and adrenaline. After saying goodnight to the family and leaving Alex and Alura's room, Kara swept Lena off her feet, most literally, and into her arms, carrying her into their own room, bridal style, sporting a grin.

"Kara!" Lena cried with a laugh, as she was lifted into the Kryptonian's arms. Then, once she was set down on the bed, she commented warmly, "You're a goober."

Kara nodded, saying, "I know," before leaning in and kissing her fiancé's lips, adding, "and I'm going to make love to you _all night_."

"Kara, we should get some—"

"I want to celebrate," the hero interjected. "But first…"

With that, Kara stood and flipped on the lights, revealing a silver platter of sparkling cider and Mickey Mouse champagne flutes on the table, complete with a display of fresh roses.

"Oh, wow," Lena breathed. "This is… This is…"

"You're perfect, Lena," Kara said softly. "And I'm never, ever going to let you forget it."

Blushing, Lena tugged her partner down for a passionate kiss, cupping the back of the woman's neck to deepen it.

"I couldn't ask for a better wife," Lena told her, when she'd finally broken away.

"Nor could I, my love," Kara replied, beaming with a love-filled gaze. "Nor could I."

After several more stolen kisses, the hero finally pulled away and sighed, "I gotta go say goodnight to the brats, honey. Why don't you get ready for bed?"

Pouting slightly, Lena reluctantly nodded her head with a yawn, saying, "I'll be right behind you."

Kissing her fiancé on the cheek, Kara stood up and left the room, headed next door to say goodnight to Alex and Alura.


	19. Chapter 19

"You guys have fun today?" Kara asked brightly, upon entering her sister and daughter's room.

Alura was bouncing on her bed, and Alex was sitting on her own, yawning. Both nodded in response.

"Time for bed, monkey," the hero whispered, leaning her daughter back against the pillows.

Alura whined, but a yawn shortly followed, so she submitted to bedtime and shut her eyes, mumbling, "I love you, mama. Thank you for bringing us here."

Feeling her heart nearly explode with warmth, Kara kissed Alura's forehead and told her, "I love you too, rascal. And you're welcome. Now, get some sleep."

Kara listened with super hearing for her daughter's heart to slow, but as soon as she tuned in to the sound, she heard a voice coming from her and Lena's room. Stiffening, the hero rose to her feet and looked in the direction of the room, trying to hear the words that were being spoken.

When her sister asked, "What is it?" Kara put her hand up and hissed, "Shh. It's Lena."

Looking confused, Alex went quiet and watched as her sister's hands clenched and made fists.

In the next room, Kara heard the words, "Hi, Lena."

"What are you doing here?" Lena's voice shot back, wavering.

"I hear you got engaged."

"What do you want, Sam?"

Kara squinted and used her x-ray vision to see that it was, in fact, Lena's ex in the next room, and that she was rapidly advancing on Lena.

Wasting no time, the Kryptonian tore open her shirt to reveal her super-suit and burst out of the room.

"I want you," Kara heard Sam tell Lena. "She doesn't know you, Lena. She doesn't know who you really are. I know you."

"You don't know me."

"I don't?" Sam snapped, and Kara threw the door open just in time to see her shove Lena backwards.

Without hesitation, the hero's hands were gripped tightly around Sam's throat. Before speaking, Kara threw the woman roughly to the ground and pressed her boot over her neck as she squirmed on the floor.

"Are you okay?" the blonde asked anxiously, turning to Lena, who was visibly shaking.

Nodding slowly, Lena took two steps backwards.

Noticing Sam struggling to pry her boot from her neck, Supergirl looked down and scowled.

"You're done here."

"Fuck you. This is none of your business," Sam struggled to hiss, glaring up at the hero.

"It _is_ my business," Supergirl shot back. "You're scum. I could crush you right now, without so much as a second thought."

Suddenly, tearing the two away from their staring contest, Lena shouted, "Supergirl, no! Don't!"

Sighing heavily and knowing that Lena was against anyone getting hurt, the hero slowly removed her boot from Sam's neck and dragged her to her feet.

"You're going to prison until you _rot,_ " the Kryptonian growled, before dragging the woman out of the room and slamming the door shut behind them.

It took Supergirl only minutes to fly Lena's ex to the county jail where she worked with law enforcement to have the woman printed and booked.

Upon returning to the room, Supergirl, still in her super suit and unrecognizable to her fiancé, knelt down in front of the woman who was crying on the bed.

"Lena, are you okay?" she asked, looking intensely into the brunette's wet eyes.

"I n-need to f-find K-Kara. And Alex a-and Alura," Lena stuttered, body trembling more than before. "They're n-not next d-door."

"They're safe. I had Kara take her sister and the kiddo out of here. I'll escort you downstairs where they're waiting in the lobby for you."

"T-Thank you," Lena stammered. "Thank you so much."

Shrugging, Supergirl smiled and said, "All in a day's work."

After sharing a long, awkward gaze, Lena licked her lips and forced a light laugh, teasing, "Wow. Who'd have thought that Supergirl vacations at Disney World?"

Supergirl laughed before replying, "Everyone needs a break sometimes. Let's go find your fiancé, make sure everyone's okay, and get you guys back to bed."

"Supergirl… What's going to happen to Sam?"

The sadness in Lena's eyes bothered Kara, but she tried to ignore it. Surely, Lena didn't still care about Sam? The thought made her sick to her stomach, so she pushed it down.

"She'll rot in prison. Law enforcement tends to take my word as law, so… when I told them she'd been stalking you for months, they believed me. And then, of course… since she assaulted you…"

Giving a weak nod, Lena asked, "How did you know I was in trouble?"

Again, Supergirl shrugged with a smile and replied, "Kryptonian senses, I guess. Anyway… Come on. I wanna make sure everyone else is okay."

After being helped to her feet and nearly stumbling on shaky legs, Lena followed Supergirl down to the lobby, where she found Alex and Alura waiting for her, with no one else around.

Then, her stomach dropped. No sight of her fiancé.

"Where's Kara?" Lena asked anxiously, looking around.

Hesitating and swallowing hard, Alex answered, "Bathroom."

"You okay?" Supergirl asked, looking into Lena's eyes and placing a hand on the brunette's shoulder.

"Yeah. I'm okay now, thanks to you. You really are something else, Supergirl."

"You're safe now, and that's all that matters to me. I'm happy to help. Take care of yourself, okay? And make sure you try the Dole Whip."

With a wink, Supergirl rushed off with superspeed, lifting off into the night as soon as she'd cleared the lobby doors.

As soon as Supergirl was gone, Alex wrapped a protective arm around Lena's shoulders and said, "I'm really glad you're okay."

Forcing a small smile, Lena replied, "Me too. And I'm glad you two are safe."

Looking down at Alura, who was nearly fast asleep standing up, Lena pulled the girl closer and kissed the top of her head.

Just then, Kara appeared from a nearby hallway, immediately rushing to Lena's side and hugging her tightly.

"I'm so sorry I let this happen," Kara whispered, tears welling in her eyes as the adrenaline wore off and the emotion kicked in.

"It's not your fault," Lena sniffled, her own tears beginning to flow again. "I shouldn't have—"

"Hey. It's not on you, okay? She's a creepy stalker piece of shit."

"Hey!" Alura shouted, waking slightly. "You said shit!"

"Pipe down, Monkey," Kara chuckled, wiping her eyes. "I'm an adult, and I say what I want."

Rolling her eyes, Alura crossed her arms, making the adults laugh in unison.

"Time for bed, Little One," Kara said with a smile.

When Alura let out a soft whimper, Lena chimed in, saying, "I think we could all use a rest. It's two in the morning."

With a nod, Kara tugged Alura along to the elevator, and the four made their way up to their rooms.

Alex, Alura, and Lena all slept like rocks. The Kryptonian, on the other hand, was up for most of the night, keeping an ear out and thinking about all the things that could have happened to Lena if she hadn't been right there to intervene. Even though she knew Sam was in police custody, Kara still had the itching feeling that something bad would happen if she shut her eyes, so she alternated between staring a at the door, staring at her phone, and staring at the ceiling, until finally, she fell asleep… moments before her alarm went off, signaling the start of a new day.

Thankfully, although exhausted, the four had an incredible time on the rest of their vacation. Of course, none of them wanted to go home when they said their last goodbyes to Cinderella's castle on the last day.

"I don't wanna," Alura whined, as they left the park to go pack for the bus back to the airport.

"I know, baby," Kara sighed, wiping a stray tear from her eye before it fell. "Me either."

"Me either," Lena and Alex added in unison.

"It'll be okay," Kara told the group – and herself – then added, "We'll be back."

"We will?" Alura asked, finally sounding happy again.

"Of course! If you behave yourself," Kara laughed.

"SWEET," Alura cried, pumping her fist in the air to emphasize her excitement. "I already can't wait to come back!"

"Same!" Lena confessed with a smile, kissing the top of Alura's head. "So you better be good and listen to your mum, so we can come back soon, okay?"

"Yes, Ma."

The women all smiled at Alura's response, sharing a glance before they reluctantly boarded the bus back to the hotel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There, see? Told ya Sam would be back 😂 Thanks for reading and commenting, my lovelies. Much love to all of you. ❤️


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, guys. Angst begins! Enjoy :)

It was difficult to leave their vacation behind, but they knew it was a trip that would not soon be forgotten, which made it just a little easier to say 'goodbye.'

Alura pouted for a few days, finally whining, "Why can't we just live at Disney World?"

Kara had to laugh at this as she told her daughter, "Because living on the Disney World property means buying a billion dollar home."

"Oh, come on," Lena teased. "It's not _that_ expensive."

Kara pulled out her laptop and searched the web for homes on the Disney World property, finding that Lena was actually correct.

"Holy Guacamole. They're only "mid-2 millions?" Kara gaped.

"Isn't that a lot?" Alura chimed in, tilting her head.

"Yes, dear. That's a lot," Lena chuckled. "But not at much as a billion."

"Lena!" Kara cried, exasperated. "Don't encourage her."

"Let's move to Disney!" Alura shouted, bouncing in her seat at the table.

"No, baby," Kara sighed. "As much as I'd love to, National City is home."

"But isn't—" the girl cut in, wanting to ask about her mother's _real_ home.

"Alura," Kara warned, giving her a look that Lena didn't catch. After a pause, the hero added, "Anyway, kid, time for you to hang with Auntie Alex. Lena and I have stuff to do today."

"You're going to go have fun without me?" Alura whimpered.

Rolling her eyes, the blonde retorted, "We're going ring shopping."

"Oh. Boring. When can I see Auntie?"

"We're gonna bring you over now and pick you up this afternoon," Lena told her with a smile, kissing the side of her head. "Go get your backpack, okay?"

Nodding, Alura ran off to collect her things, leaving the two women alone in the dining room.

"I can't believe we're doing this," Lena sighed happily, looking into her partner's fierce blue eyes.

"Me either. It doesn't feel real. I never thought I'd be this happy."

This earned a broad smile from Lena, who hugged Kara tightly and kissed her lips, only breaking away when Alura reappeared with her bag.

"Alright, kid. Load out!" Kara ordered, grabbing one of Lena's hands and one of her daughter's before pulling them out of the apartment.

"Can you wait for me outside for a minute? I just want to talk to Alex for a sec," the hero asked, upon arriving at Alex's apartment.

"Of course, dear," Lena answered, kissing Kara's cheek before watching the woman disappear into the apartment.

"You need to tell her," Alex blurted, as soon as the door was shut and Alura had run off to the bathroom, looking at her sister seriously.

"Come on, Alex. I'll tell her. I just… can't right now."

"Kara. You asked this woman to _marry you._ And you haven't even told her you're Supergirl?"

"Alex, stop. I'll tell her."

"When?"

"Well. When we… When I… When the time's right, and when it won't put her in danger."

"Kara!" Alex shouted. "She's always going to be in danger if you tell her! You can't keep waiting! It's wrong to hide this from her."

"Of course she's always going to be in danger if I tell her! Why do you think I haven't yet?"

"Kara. Tell her. Sooner rather than later. Or you're gonna lose her."

Biting her lip, sobered by Alex's words, Kara nodded her head and mumbled, "Maybe tonight."

Alex shook her head with a sigh, sensing that Kara wasn't as committed to the task as she wanted Alex to believe.

"Gotta go. Thanks for watching the kid," the hero said softly. "I love you."

"I love you too, Kar. Go have fun." Then, as an afterthought, she called out, "And tell Lena!"

With that, Kara hurried back outside to meet her partner.

"You ready, champ?" Kara asked cheerfully, though internally she was weighed down by her sister's words.

Lena nodded, her enthusiasm shining through her bright smile, and the two headed towards their destination.

Kara could feel butterflies in her stomach as she held Lena's hand and made her way down the sidewalk towards the jeweler's. _Now?_ she wondered. _Yes, now. Come on, Kara. Now. Do it!_

In her deepest desire to be honest, Kara's heart was heavy as she walked, and the heaviness of her steps reflected the weight of her secret. But she couldn't bring herself to tell. Despite knowing that Lena deserved the truth, the fear of her anger at Kara's secret and more importantly, the fear of putting Lena in danger, stopped Kara's tongue.

Heart racing, she walked on in silence until they reached their destination, where she held the door open for her partner.

"Thank you, sweetheart," Lena whispered, pecking her cheek on her way past.

Taking a deep breath, the hero followed her lover into the store, gathering as much bravery as she could muster just to take the next few steps. When she saw Lena's eyes light up as she peered into the glass display case of rings in the corner of the room, Kara finally smiled.

"See anything you like, princess?" she asked softly, wrapping an arm around Lena as she peered over her shoulder.

"Oh, my… I…" Lena started, but immediately cut herself off, exclaiming, "Oh, _wow!_ Kara, these are… these…"

Following Lena's eyes, Kara could see that she was looking at the price tags. As the jeweler approached to greet them, Kara waved him away, not wanting to deter Lena from sharing her true feelings about the rings. Laughing brightly, the Kryptonian kissed her lover's temple.

"Pick anything you want, darling. Anything."

"Are you kidding me? No way!" Lena cried. "These—"

"Hey. Don't do that, okay? Just tell me which one you like. It's really okay. I've been saving for a long time for this. And besides, you're my princess, and you are _totally_ worth it."

Visibly breathless and finding herself without words, Lena's gaze drifted back into the case, where an elegant but simple ring seemed to be calling her name.

"Ah," Kara said with a warm, knowing smile. "You like black diamonds. I had no idea."

Lena remained speechless, staring into the display case in awe.

Ignoring the sound of the store's large glass door creaking open again, Kara watched the fiancé examine the jewelry. Just when the blonde was about to speak in an attempt to shake Lena from her stupor, the hero heard a second sound that made her Kryptonian blood run cold.

"On the fucking ground! All of you!" a man's rough voice ground out, causing the ten or so people in the store to turn around abruptly, searching for the source of the command as they dropped to the floor.

Of course, Kara's head turned first, her Kryptonian reflexes reacting faster than anyone else's. In any other situation – any without Lena by her side – Kara would have immediately reacted to the sight of three gunmen aiming their weapons at the jeweler behind the counter by disarming and incapacitating them. In this situation, however, half of her heart was standing next to her, horrified. Kara was immediately in tune to Lena's heart rate skyrocketing, so without much thought for the gunmen, she tugged Lena down to the floor and knelt beside her.

 _Now, Kara,_ the hero told herself, choking back her own fear of Lena's rejection that she was sure would follow. _You have to do it_ _ **now.**_

Her own heart racing – something that only happened in relation to Lena – the hero covered Lena's mouth with her hand and whispered, "I'm so sorry. Please, forgive me."

Tears in her eyes, Kara rose to her feet, knowing full well what she had to do to keep her partner safe, and tore her shirt open with super speed so that only Lena, who was staring at her, would notice her changing into her super suit.

Tearing her watering eyes away from her horrified partner, the hero dashed in a blur of red and blue behind the gunman closest to her and knocked him out with a well-measured blow. She then proceeded to disarm the second gunman, expertly twisting his wrist until his pistol fell to the floor. Simultaneously, the hero's leg swung out, knocking the gunman swiftly onto his back. His head having hit the floor first, the second gunman fell unconscious from the impact. As his body was falling, Supergirl turned to the third gunman, who was pointing his weapon directly at her face. Of course, this didn't phase her, because if his gun was pointed at her, that meant it wasn't pointed at anyone else.

Even when the weapon was fired, she didn't flinch. Instead, lightening reflexes allowed her to catch both bullets that were shooting forward as she leaned back slightly, kicking the man hard in the center of his chest and knocking him down.

Luckily for Kara, no one in the store had seen her bold move of changing into her suit in public – their eyes had been glued to the ground or squeezed shut – except for Lena.

Slowly, after a moment of silence had fallen on the store, with all three gunmen incapacitated, the people in the store rose to their feet. The jeweler tried to thank Supergirl for her good deed, but Kara's attention was focused wholly on Lena, who was walking out of the shop in a daze.

"Lena!" Supergirl called out, rushing out the door and reaching for her hand.

Snapped into reality, as though shot with an arrow, Lena's pained, tear-filled eyes met Kara's as the woman growled, "Don't touch me."

"Lena… Lena, I'm sorry!" Kara cried, failing to choke down her own set of hot, shameful tears. "I'm so sorry. Please, just listen—"

"No!" Lena screamed, as Kara made another reach for her hand. "Don't come near me."

"Lena! Please!"

"I mean it!" the brunette shouted, making each passerby on the sidewalk turn their head to look at the scene they were causing. "Get. The fuck. Away from me, _Supergirl._ "

She spat the hero's name as though it was poison she needed to remove from her mouth, lest she die from it, and it broke Kara's heart more than the rejection she was getting from her lover.

"Can we at least—" the broken hero tried desperately, following closely behind Lena as she walked away.

This made Lena turn on her heels, glaring directly into Supergirl's red, swollen eyes.

"If you come near me, or even speak to me, ever again, I swear I will move across the world where you will never, ever find me."

"Lena, that's—"

"Get. Away."

As Lena turned away a final time, Supergirl fell to her knees on the sidewalk, sobbing as she held her head in her hands, without a care for any civilians witnessing her deepest moment of weakness.


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More angst.... hit me up on Tumblr (echelonwarfare) if you want to cry together 😂

After finally gathering the strength to stand on her own two feet in her weakened state, Kara slipped into a back alley to change into her alter ego's street clothing. Walking back to Alex's apartment, her footsteps were heavy, slow, and sullen. When she arrived, she found herself unable to pull open the apartment door, so she simply knocked.

"Why are you knocking?" Alex laughed as she opened the door and saw her sister standing before her.

Alex's smile quickly faded when she saw the tears on Kara's cheeks and the redness in her eyes.

"What the hell happened, Kar?"

"She knows," Kara choked out, covering her face in a half-hearted attempt to hide her tears and weakness.

"Hey, it's okay," her sister assured her, pulling the shaken hero into her arms. "It's okay. Let it out."

"Get me to the bedroom before Alura sees."

Biting her lip, Alex tugged her sister inside and quickly led her to the bedroom where Kara collapsed on the bed, letting out a loud, agonized sob.

"What happened, honey?" Alex pressed, touching the hero's arm.

"I couldn't tell her. I just couldn't. But then there was a robbery at the jewelry store. They had guns. I had to stop them. Lena saw me change into the suit and I... I ruined everything."

"Did anyone else see you?" Alex asked anxiously, her primary concern for everyone's safety.

"No," Kara flatly replied.

Despite wanting to show empathy, Alex's face showed her relief.

"She told me never to speak to her again."

"Oh, fuck," Alex breathed, biting her lip. "Kara... I'm so sorry..."

Wiping her eyes, Kara sat up and whimpered, "What am I gonna tell Alura?"

"I don't know, sweetie," her sister sighed. "But we'll figure it out. It's going to be okay."

"How?!" the Kryptonian snapped. " _How_ could this _ever_ be okay?"

"I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere. You'll get through this. I promise."

"I don't know, Alex. I honestly just... don't know."

"You have to, Kara. You have to get through this for the kid. You know that."

Choking back sobs, Kara nodded her head and choked out, "I know."

~!~!~

Eventually, Kara's tears dried, and she brought her daughter home. Still, it was difficult to speak, so when she asked her daughter how her day went, her voice shook.

"It was good. Are you okay?" Alura responded, sensing something was wrong.

"Of course, honey. Why wouldn't I be?"

Alura blinked. They both knew she was lying. Still, Alura had the sense and self-control to remain quiet as they finished the drive home.

Kara was silent, lacking her usual infectious energy, for the duration of the evening. When it was time to put her daughter to sleep, Alura tilted her head in confusion.

"What time is it?"

"It's nine."

"But... That's late..."

Kara gave a weak shrug and lied, "Just thought you'd want a little extra time to read."

"Mom..." Alura said, having the sudden realization that Lena hadn't come home. "Isn't Ma going to tuck me in?"

"No, honey. I'm right here, though, and it's time for bed, so—" Kara tried to reply, barely managing to speak.

Alura cut her off immediately, asking, "When is she coming home?"

Struck with the sense of impending doom - Kara knew she couldn't lie, at least not fully - the girl's mother felt her throat tighten, instantly giving her the feeling of being suffocated.

"She's not, honey," Kara choked out.

"W-What do yo mean?" Alura asked anxiously, clearly horrified by the unfamiliar sight of her mother's eyes watering.

"We, um... We decided it would be best if—"

"No. NO!" Alura screamed, her intelligence setting off the realization of what her mother was about to say. "NO! You can't! You can't break up!"

"Honey, I—"

"I want Ma!"

"Alura, come on. Please. We just—"

"What did you _do?_ "

"Alura."

"I want to talk to Ma."

"Lena doesn't—"

"I want to call Ma."

"That's not a good idea right now, Alura."

"Let me call her."

"No, honey. You can't."

"Give me the phone!"

Feeling something snap within her, Kara lost her patience.

"Go to bed, Alura. We'll talk about this in the morning, when you're calm."

"I HATE YOU," Alura screamed, cheeks flushed red and she shoved her mother backwards. "I can't believe you did this! You ruined us! You ruined our family!"

Breath ripped from her lungs by the sting of her daughter's words, shocked by the incredible demonstration of force, Kara found herself unable to speak as she turned, left the room, and shut the door behind her. As Alura's sudden, howling sobs echoed into the hallway, the Kryptonian collapsed against the bedroom door and released her own unbridled tears. After a while, Alura's sobs became quiet, and Kara's silent tears came to a stop. Finally, she found the strength to stand. Making her way to the bedroom, she was suddenly struck with the realization of the extent of Alura's strength.

_Super strength._

Kara rubbed her temples as she found herself wishing that human aspirin would take away the raging headache exploding in her brain and that their alcohol would work to give her mind a dull, numbing buzz. But neither would work on her Kryptonian biology, so the hero simply had to lie in her bed, staring at the ceiling.

Meanwhile, Alura had more ambitious plans.

~!~!~

As smart as she was, the hero's daughter had no trouble silently slipping out of the apartment. Of course, her brain, without a fully developed prefrontal cortex to tell her just how incredibly _dangerous_ this decision was, didn't stop her as she exited the building and made her way down the sidewalk.

Fortunately - or not so fortunately - for Alura, she made her way five minutes down the street to her aunt's apartment without being caught by a police officer or harassed by anyone wandering around in the dimly lit city that night. When Alex opened the door, looking dazed, exhausted, and confused, Alura's face was covered in tears again.

Gaping in shock, Alex exclaimed, "Alura! What happened, honey?! Are you okay?! Where's Mom?!"

Shaking her head vigorously as she fell into her aunt's arms, Alura whimpered, "Lena's gone."

The realization that Kara had told her what happened struck Alex immediately, and with a heavy sigh, she wrapped her arms around her niece.

"I know, baby," Alex told her, trying to keep her tone level and calm. "But you can't be sneaking out and walking the streets by yourself, okay? You _really_ could have gotten hurt. Badly. Or worse..."

"I don't care," Alura sobbed, tearing herself away and aiming her fists at the wall. "Mom wouldn't even let me call her! She's such a bitch!"

When Alex grabbed her hands and tried to stop her, she found herself unable to counter the girl's strength. Eyes going wide as she came to the same understanding her sister had earlier that night, she wrapped her arms around Alura from behind just in time to stop the girl from hitting the wall a second time. When Alura finally allowed herself to be pulled away, Alex noticed the large dent and crack in the wall. Biting her lip as she tried not to panic, she took the girl's hand and gently led her into the apartment.

Once the two were finally sitting on the couch, Alex took the opportunity to speak, having known that her silence was paramount while Alura was having her completely justified outburst.

"Alura," she said gently, taking the girl's hand. "Don't call her that."

" _Why?_ " Alura snapped back, scowling viciously. "She _is_ one."

"I know that you are very, very smart, Alura, but this is one of things you don't understand until you're older, okay? I need you to trust me on this. Your mother would never, _ever_ do anything to intentionally hurt you. Neither would Lena."

"Then _why!_ WHY are they doing this? Why can't they just— UGH! Forget it! I hate her! I _hate_ her for this!"

"You don't hate her, Alura. You're just very, very angry. And that's okay. It's really okay to be angry. But I need you to—"

"Please, let me call her."

"Mom?"

"No! Lena!"

Hesitating, Alex looked at the girl apprehensively before finally answering, "I don't think that's a good idea."

"Let me call her, or I'm gonna leave!"

Sighing, the girl's aunt shook her head and replied, "No, you're not. You're not going anywhere. But I am calling your mom to come get you."

"NO!"

"Alura—"

"It's not like you can stop me!" Alura taunted defiantly.

Giving her niece the sternest look she could manage, Alex dropped the tone of her voice and asked seriously, "How long have you known?"

"About what?" Alura asked, displaying her best - and absolutely horrible - poker face.

"You know what," Alex pressed, crossing her arms. When Alura simply shrugged her shoulders, her aunt added, "Super strength, you little brat."

Again, Alura shrugged, but this time replied, "A while."

"Why didn't you tell us?"

"Because Mom would've made a big deal out of it."

Sighing, Alex nodded and said, "Yeah, you're probably right. Still... That's not the kind of thing you should keep from us. That's not... a safe secret."

"What do you mean?"

"I know you're angry with your mother right now, and I completely understand that... but in general, this type of thing is something your immediate family - and _only_ your immediate family - needs to know."

Huffing her displeasure, but knowing her aunt was absolutely right, Alura conceded, "Yeah, I guess so. Whatever. Anyway... Can I call Lena now?"

"Sweetheart... It's two in the morning. She's probably not even... and... and... she..."

Frowning, Alura whimpered, "You don't think she'll want to talk to me, do you? Does she hate me too?"

"Oh, God, Alura. Of course not! Of _course_ she doesn't hate you! She could never hate you."

"But she left. She left and didn't even say goodbye," the girl choked out, her sobs returning.

All Alex could do was hold her tightly, slip her cellphone into her niece's hand, and say, "Please... Just..."

But Alura was already tugging away from her aunt and scrambling to find Lena's contact information. Finding it in no time, she quickly selected Lena's number and started the call.

"Alex, listen," Lena's voice came through the phone, already sounding incredibly irritated. "I really don't want to hear it, okay? You don't—"

But Alura wasn't listening.

"Ma," she sniffled loudly. "Ma, do you hate me?"

"Oh, Jesus," Lena sighed. "Of course I don't hate you, honey... I just—"

"Then why did you leave?!" Alura screamed. "Why did you leave me?"

Feeling herself getting choked up at the pained sound of her almost-step-daughter's crying, Lena managed, "I left your mother, sweetheart. And it's... it's got nothing to do with you, okay? It's a grown-up thing. And—"

"You left us _both_ ," the girl cut in angrily.

Lena couldn't deny that Alura was right. Technically, she'd left them both. Speechless, her own tears began to stream down her cheeks.

"I thought you loved me," Alura added, serving to deepen the cracks in Lena's broken heart.

"I do love you!" Lena cried. "Oh, honey. I do love you. I love you so, so much. I will always love you. Your mother and I just... We..."

Cutting her off with loud, uncontrolled sobs, Alura exclaimed, "Whatever she did, I'll fix it! I'll fix it, Ma. Please. Please, just come back."

Covering her mouth to stifle the sound of her own choking sob, Lena forced herself to breathe deeply through her nose to steady herself before speaking.

It took her a while, but eventually, she finally replied, "I can't, honey. I can't. I'm sorry, baby. I'm so sorry."

When Alex realized that Alura was now too upset to speak, her body shaking from crying so hard, she took the phone away and lifted it to her ear.

Hesitantly, she said, "Lena..."

"Please, don't, Alex," Lena whimpered, finally allowing herself to cry.

"I... I'm not going to tell you what to do. I'm not going to plead Kara's case, okay? I get it. I just... want you to know that I love you. I love you like a sister, and I always will. And she'll always love you too."

"If she fucking loved me, she would have told me the fucking truth!" Lena yelled, so loudly that Alura could hear the crackling of the speaker (though not the words).

"I'm sorry, Lena," Alex whispered back, rising from her seat on the couch and walking to her bedroom. Once the door was shut behind her, she added, "She should have told you. I tried to... I... I warned her. She wanted to. She really did, Lena. She just didn't want you to get hurt, and you knowing... it puts you at risk."

"She obviously doesn't trust me! I don't know why the fuck she bothered to ask me to move in. To ask me to _marry_ her!"

"Lena. I know. I hear you. I totally hear you. I'm not trying to talk you out of leaving. I'm just trying to tell you that she wasn't trying to hurt you. She did the wrong thing, for sure, but she would _never_ try to hurt you. Just know that, okay? Know that she loves you."

"I'm not going back, Alex."

"I know," Alex sighed.

"I can't hear from you anymore. And you can't let Alura call me again."

"I know," Alex repeated, sadness soaking the words. "I understand. And I'm sorry, Lena. I really am. I love you. If you ever need anything, I'm here."

"Take good care of the kid, Alex."

Feeling herself finally start to cry, her own emotions suddenly flooding her as the reality of the situation gripped her, Alex promised, "I will."


	22. Chapter 22

Alex, of course, called her sister immediately after ending the call with Lena, and Kara, of course, lost her cool.

"Maybe let her stay here tonight, Kar," Alex sighed, after Kara's rant full of expletives was finished. "She's really upset."

"I don't care if she's upset! She can't just go wondering the streets at night! She's—"

"I know. I told her. She knows. This is a big deal, Kar. She just lost her second Mom."

" _I know that,_ " Kara shouted. "Don't you think I know that?!"

"I know you're upset, Kara, but seriously... don't take it out on me."

"You know what? I—" the hero started, but cut herself off with a sigh. "No, you're right. I'm sorry."

"I think now might be the time to think about therapy, Kar..."

The silence on the other end of the line was hard to read, but just as Alex was about to speak to break it, she heard the unmistakable sound of her sister crying.

"It's gonna be okay, Kara. I promise. And I'm gonna be right here through anything and everything. I know this really hurts - trust me, I know - but you can get through this. You can get through anything."

"Why? Because I'm _Supergirl?_ " Kara shot back bitterly. "I don't want to be—"

"No," Alex cut in. "Because you're Kara Danvers. Because you're you. And you're strong in your own right."

"If I'm so strong, why do I need therapy?"

"Because sometimes strength is knowing when to ask for help."

Again, silence.

"I'll take the day off from work and hang out with Alura tomorrow. Give her the day off from school to process and get some sleep. You just... take some time to look up some people to talk to, okay? Go over your options and—"

"Actually..." Kara interrupted. "I think I have someone already."

"You do?"

"Yeah... When Alura was first struggling at school and I had to go in and see Lena to talk about it... she gave me someone's card. I put it away and haven't looked at it since. But I guess you're right. I should think about calling."

"Don't just think about it, Kar. Please. Call."

"Make sure the kid eats a real breakfast, yeah?"

Sighing as her sister avoided her guidance - nothing new, really - Alex replied, "Of course I will. Poptarts are a great part of a balanced—"

"No poptarts! Fruit, Alex! Fruit and—"

"I'm kidding, Kara."

"Oh."

"I'm sorry this is happening, sweetheart. I'm right here, though, okay? Let's meet up and do dinner tomorrow night."

"Yeah. Okay."

"I love you, Kar."

"I love you too, Alex."

"Go back to sleep. I'll text you tomorrow."

"Thanks. You get some sleep too."

"Night, Kar."

"Night, Alex."

~!~!~

Kara didn't expect her hands to quiver when she picked up the phone to call the number on the business card she'd been holding for three quarters of an hour. There she was, though, hands quivering away, despite her best efforts to calm her nerves with deep breathing.

 _Come on, Kara. Don't be a fucking coward. Just dial the number,_ she told herself, biting down hard on her lower lip. _You have to do this. For Alura. For Alex. For yourself._

It took her several more slow, deep, steadying breaths to be able to type the numbers into her phone, and a few more after that to hit the green 'call' button.

Shocked that the call was answered on the second ring, Kara found herself having difficulty forming words when the person on the other line greeted her.

"H-Hi. So, this is gonna sound weird, but... someone I know gave me your card a while ago, and... and I was hoping you still had some openings for a new client?"

"I certainly do! Why would that sound weird?" the woman replied cheerfully.

"Because... I'm Supergirl."

There was a very brief pause on the other end of the line while the therapist considered her words carefully before asking, "When would you like to come in? I have openings as soon as... well, actually... I know it's short notice, but I did have a rare cancellation this afternoon, if you'd like to meet me in the office to see if I'll be a good fit for you?"

"I..." the hero started, shocked by the suddenness of the offer. She'd fully been expecting this to take weeks, if not months, to get rolling, or for the therapist to freak out about talking to a superhero, but given that this wasn't the case, she swallowed her nerves and replied, "Yes, that should be fine. What time?"

"I have a 3 o'clock, if that works for you."

"I'll be there."

"Oh, and... Supergirl?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"You don't need to call me ma'am," the woman laughed. "I was just going to ask if you mind dogs. I have a therapy dog who I sometimes bring with me to the office. If that bothers you, I can—"

"No, that's great! It'll be a good distraction for me, I think. I've never done therapy before, and to be honest... well, I'll explain this afternoon. But I'm nervous."

"It's perfectly natural to be nervous. Most people are the first time they go to therapy. And Beau does a great job helping with that."

"Awesome. Thank you very much. I'll see you at 3 o'clock."

"Absolutely. I look forward to it."

~!~!~

Sitting in the incredibly soft, overly-comfortable chair, Kara was feeling the most _un_ comfortable she'd ever felt in her life. Telling secrets was not her strong suit, and she knew she would have to if she wanted this to be worth her time. Luckily, her nerves were quieted somewhat by the feeling of her therapist's dog's fur beneath her fingertips. His head was resting on the hero's thigh as he looked up at her lovingly, and Kara actually smiled at the sight of it. This golden retriever certainly knew how to be a good therapy dog.

"So, um... What do I... I don't... I don't exactly know where to start or how this works," Supergirl confessed.

"Well... We can start wherever you'd like, really, but generally during the first session we talk about what brings you in and what you'd like to accomplish in therapy."

"Oh," the blonde said simply. Then, her attention returning to the awkwardness of sitting in a therapist's office wearing her super suit, she forced a laugh and asked, "Is it weird to be starting therapy with a superhero?"

The woman's lips curled into a gentle smile before she replied, "I think you might be deflecting right now. And I want to be clear... in this profession, we respect and honor confidentiality. Even for superheroes. The only limits are if you or someone else are in imminent danger, or if a child or elder are being abused or neglected."

Letting out a soft sigh of relief, the hero lowered her head and looked down at the dog, who was wiggling closer to her and sitting directly on top of her boots.

"Beau likes you," the therapist commented.

"I bet Beau likes everybody," the Kryptonian laughed.

"He's kind to everybody. He doesn't _like_ everybody. There is quite a difference."

"How do you know he likes me?"

"Because he hasn't laid down or left your side since you came in."

The hero had to smile at this. At least the dog liked her.

"I don't think I'm a very likable person," Supergirl confessed suddenly, realizing that the people she cared about more than anyone else in the world had put her on their shit lists.

"What makes you say that?"

"Okay," Supergirl started, taking in a heavy breath. "So... I've had your card for a long time now. Like, maybe a year. And it was given to me by my daughter's teacher, because my daughter was struggling behaviorally in school, and I came in for a parent-teacher conference, and she could tell I was extremely stressed and having a hard time myself." When the therapist nodded her understanding, the hero continued, "But things worked out, at least for a while. My daughter harassed me nearly to death until I asked that particular teacher on a date... and we ended up getting together. Things got serious. Really serious. My daughter switched classrooms. She moved in with us. I asked her to marry me..."

The hero was beginning to get choked up, and she was hoping the therapist would say something to fill the silence and distract her, but the woman said nothing. She waited for her to recover and continue her story. But the Kryptonian found herself at a loss for words, her throat constricted by the overwhelming need to cry.

"It's okay," the therapist told her, reading resistance all over the hero's body language. "You can cry."

Shaking her head vigorously, Supergirl rubbed her eyes and ground out, "Superheroes don't cry."

After a thoughtful pause, the therapist noted, "You don't have to be a superhero in here. I understand you can't reveal your identity, but you _can_ be yourself. You have feelings, and that's a good thing."

"Humans have feelings, not alien superheroes," the Kryptonian shot back. "I'm being pathetic."

With a slow shake of her head, the therapist insisted, "You are not pathetic. You have a heart and emotions just like anyone else. And I may not be an _expert_ on alien biology... but _everyone_ has feelings. There's nothing wrong with feeling them."

"You want me to feel my feelings, but I don't want to feel them at all. I want them to go away. I want to not care anymore."

"There's where the hero part comes in. You're a hero, deep down, so you won't stop caring. You won't stop feeling. And that's something you'll need to practice some Radical Acceptance around."

"Radical acceptance?"

"Radical Acceptance is one of the most difficult concepts I ask my clients to learn. It means accepting what _is,_ without resistance. It means that you may not like reality, and reality may not be fair, but you accept it. It means accepting what you can't change and working to change what you _can._ "

"Well, I can't change _anything_ right now."

"Not quite true, thankfully. You may not be able to control whatever circumstances you're in at this point, but you can control your reaction to your environment."

The hero thought about this for a few long moments before answering, "I guess that's true. That's why I'm here."

"Can you tell me a little more?"

Taking a deep breath, Supergirl continued her story, "I'm an idiot, and I... I wanted to protect my partner. As a superhero, you put people in danger when they know your identity. And I didn't want that for her... but... I was a coward. I asked her to marry me without telling her who and what I really am. So when we were at the jewelry store and the place got robbed and I _had_ to be the hero, but I hadn't told her, so when she found out like that, she was rightfully furious with me and never wants to speak to me again and now my daughter hates me too and I..."

Her speech increased in pressure towards the end of her explanation as tears re-formed in her eyes and she started to cry again.

"It's okay to cry," the therapist reminded her. "You were just trying to protect her. But she trusted you, and it seems like maybe she feels you didn't trust her enough to be honest with her."

"I know. I _know,_ " Supergirl moaned, hanging her head in her hands again.

"It's very obvious that you care deeply for her," the therapist assured the hero. "But let's take a break for today, okay? I think trauma needs to be explored in small doses, and paired with good coping skills, which we haven't gotten to yet."

"Trauma?" the Kryptonian questioned, tiling her head slightly in confusion.

"Yes, trauma. You going through this - losing someone you love deeply - is a traumatic experience. And you're having a trauma response right now."

"I'm depressed."

"And we'll work on that. It won't last forever. I can promise you that."

"I don't know," Supergirl told her, looking apprehensive.

"This too shall pass. And I'll hold the hope for you until you have some of your own, okay?"

With a weak nod, Supergirl glanced at the clock, noticed that they were out of time, and rose to her feet, saying, "Thank you. This wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it was going to be."

Chuckling lightly, the therapist replied, "I'm glad. You're doing great. I know this is hard. Now, let's get you scheduled for next week."


	23. Chapter 23

"So, how'd it go?" Alex asked her sister, after an incredibly grumpy Alura was sent to bed.

"It went... It was..." Kara started, suddenly staring off towards the wall with a dazed look in her eyes.

"Kara?"

"Huh? Oh. Sorry. It was... actually really good. She's really nice. And she has a dog!"

"Why don't we have a dog? Alura needs a dog."

"SHHH!" the hero hissed, looking around to make sure that her daughter wasn't eavesdropping. "We're not getting a dog!"

"But—"

"Hush. Anyway, his name is Beau, and apparently, he really likes me."

"Well, dogs are great judges of character," Alex offered with a warm smile, wrapping her arm around her sister's shoulders.

"Yeah... Not this one."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm a piece of shit, Alex. This dog clearly didn't pick up on that."

"Hey! Kara! That's not true! You're an amazing person."

"Hardly," the hero sighed. "Look at what I did to our family. I—"

"Hey. Everyone makes mistakes, okay? Everyone. Yes, you should have told her sooner. Yes, you hurt her. Yes, Alura is upset. But you did your best, and you were just trying to protect the family."

Rubbing her eyes, Kara replied, "That's all true, but I still hate myself for it."

"Tell me more about therapy," Alex suggested gently. "You said she's nice?"

"Yeah, definitely. Gentle, but called me on my shit. I was avoiding certain things and she named it and it was actually kinda nice."

"That's good, Kar! That's really good!"

Grumbling, Kara looked away and said, "You're too optimistic."

"Only when it comes to my family," Alex explained with a shrug.

"Anyway, I think I'm just gonna turn in early, okay?"

Biting her lip, Alex nodded.

"Goodnight, Kar. Love you."

"Love you too."

~!~!~

As Supergirl sat in her therapist's office a second time, her nerves returned, but not to quite the same degree as before.

"How are you this afternoon?" the therapist asked softly.

She knew enough not to be overly cheerful, given the sullen look on Supergirl's face.

Supergirl shrugged in response, replying, "I dunno. My kid fucking hates me and my sister keeps trying to tell me I'm not a piece of shit, but that's just not how it feels. I feel worthless."

"A sister," the therapist mused. "How's that relationship?"

"Strong," Supergirl answered immediately. "It wasn't always, but as we grew up, we got closer and closer, and now we're basically inseparable."

"Good."

"Good?"

"Yes. Quite good, actually, because everyone – even a superhero – needs a support system. And it sounds like your sister really cares about you."

"She does. But she's wrong about me. I _am_ a piece of shit. How could I do this to my partner? How could I keep my identity from her? She's been betrayed so many times, and now I'm just another one of those terrible exes. But anyway, there's really nothing I can do to make her change her mind, you know? I blew it up. It's gone. The relationship is over and done with. So I guess what I want from therapy is to learn to be me again and to be able to move on from the intense guilt I'm feeling. Without a partner. And just… be a good mom and sister going forward."

"That's a beautiful goal," the therapist said with a smile.

"So how do we get there?"

"Well… It may be a long ride, but it starts with you making some positive affirmations about yourself."

"Some what?"

"Positive affirmations. It's silly therapy lingo for 'say something nice about yourself.'"

Supergirl looked skeptical as she asked, "But why?"

"Well, for one, fake it til you make it. For two, because the more you say it, the more you'll believe it. And the better you feel about yourself – the more you focus on the things you _like,_ rather than the things you dislike – the freer you will be from the guilt that binds you now."

Supergirl sat in silence for several long, uncomfortable moments. The therapist didn't look uncomfortable at all. She just continued to look relaxed and welcoming. Supergirl, though, was squirming inside.

Finally, she blurted quietly, "I don't think I have anything nice to say about myself right now."

"Alright. That's okay. We'll get there. It's okay not to feel it right now. Do you want to just start with what kept you from telling your partner about your identity?"

"Well… I mean, obviously, I didn't want her to get hurt."

"Hmm. But isn't it true that you would've _had_ to tell her eventually, if you truly planned on marrying her?"

Supergirl blinked several times before speaking.

"Um… well… yes, but…"

"I can't help but wonder why you put it off. It seems you trusted her enough to ask her to marry you." After a long pause, the therapist added, "And you trusted her enough to incorporate her into your family. You said you lived together?"

"Yeah, for a little while."

"You must've trusted her a great deal for that. So where was the barrier to sharing the identity?"

"I didn't want her to get hurt!"

"Does your sister know?"

"Yes…"

"And your daughter?"

"Yes, but—" Supergirl blurted, staring dumbfounded as she realized the point her therapist was trying to make. "But that's… that's different. They're family. They—"

"Your partner wasn't family?"

"Well, she was, but… but…"

The therapist let silence fall between them again, allowing Supergirl to sit in her own discomfort as she processed what was going on for her.

Only after several minutes had passed did the therapist prompt her, "Can you tell me what you're experiencing right now?"

"Rage," Supergirl answered, the word falling right out of her mouth, without hesitation.

"Tell me more."

"I hate myself."

"What's making you say that?"

"Because you're right."

"And what am I right about?"

"She was family, and I should have told her."

Offering a warm smile, the therapist gently corrected her, "I don't believe I said that."

"But…"

"You're saying that. I was merely pointing out the incongruencies in your disclosure."

Swallowing hard as she felt hot, frustrated tears flow over onto her cheeks, Supergirl confessed, "I'm so, so angry."

"Anger is a secondary emotion. There is always something deeper below it."

"No. I'm just angry. I don't know how to feel anything else anymore."

"Try to dig deeper."

"There is no deeper!" Supergirl exclaimed, raising her voice as the tears flowed faster.

"Although it's not uncommon for people to cry when they're angry, that too is generally caused by some deeper emotion."

"I'm not—" Supergirl started to protest, then reached up to touch her own cheeks.

Feeling how wet they were beneath her fingers shocked her. She hadn't even noticed she'd been crying.

"It's okay," her therapist assured her. "Let's dig a little. Let's pull up the carpet and find the hard wood floors, okay? I think that's where you're going to find your freedom."

"I don't want to," Supergirl sobbed, covering her face with her hands.

"That's okay. You'll get there," the therapist assured her. Then, after a quick glance at the clock, she added, "We're almost out of time. Why don't we take a break for today, okay? This kind of digging can be very overwhelming. Small doses are best."

Supergirl nodded, rubbing her eyes with her fists as she tried to get her emotions – whatever they were – under control.

"Tell me one fun thing you're going to do this week," the therapist prompted her. "Let's end on a positive note."

"Nothing," Supergirl sighed, rubbing her temples.

"Pick one thing you're going to do for self-care."

"Well… I guess I could watch a movie with my sister this weekend."

"There you go. Is it okay if I follow up about that, to see how that was, next week?"

Supergirl nodded.

"Remember that self-care is important when doing this work. Finding balance is hard, but very necessary. I hope you have a wonderful weekend. Try to enjoy yourself, and we'll talk more next week."

"Thank you," Supergirl said softly, then made her way out of the office.

~!~!~

The following week, for their third session, Supergirl's therapist greeted her with her usual smile and a bright, "Good afternoon."

But despite the woman's warm demeanor, Supergirl felt her insides turning as she thought back to how it had felt to be sitting on the couch there the week before.

 _This sucks,_ she thought, sitting down slowly. _I hate therapy._

"What's on your mind?" the therapist asked gently, noticing the hero's quiet disposition.

"I'm nervous for today."

"Oh?"

"I didn't like how I felt last week."

"Ah, I see. Well, that's quite understandable. After all, this is difficult work. How's your week been?"

"It's been okay. I did my homework."

"How was the movie?" the therapist asked with a smile.

"It was actually pretty good. I felt relaxed for the first time since everything went down with my ex, my sister was really supportive, and it was just good to have her there."

"Sounds like she's a pretty great person."

"She is."

Supergirl smiled slightly, taking the moment to appreciate just how wonderful Alex was.

"How has everything else been going?"

"Mostly the same," Supergirl told her. "But I've been thinking a lot about what you said last week, and it's been making me feel very frustrated. I can't shake the anger, and I don't know what's under it."

"What I said made you frustrated?"

"Well, no, not what you said. It was… Well… No. I mean. I was frustrated because I couldn't answer you last week, about what was beneath the rage. I still don't know, so now I'm even _more_ angry."

"The first thing I'll say is try to be gentle with yourself, alright? This is no easy task, trying to dig up what's real and separate out what's covering up our true emotions. And it's completely okay to not know how to do this. _And_ it's okay to feel angry."

"It is?"

"Of course," the therapist assured her with a smile. "Quite okay."

"Well, good, 'cause I'm fucking _pissed_. Sorry for my French."

Laughing lightly, the therapist told her, "You can say whatever you'd like in here. And I understand why this is frustrating."

"Anyway," Supergirl continued. "I want to dig this up. I said I didn't want to last week, because I don't think I was ready. But I am now. I want to figure this out."

"Okay. So… let's go back to that conversation then. I was asking you why you feel comfortable and able to share your identity with your sister and your daughter, but not with your former partner with whom you lived and were planning to marry."

Kara felt a stinging sensation in her chest at the sound of the phrase 'former partner' coming from someone else. It made it real. Too real. And it hurt.

"It's not that I was _never_ going to tell her. I was just waiting for the right time. And it was hard to tell my daughter, but she had to know, because she's starting to present with some powers too, and if I didn't tell her that would just be cruel. And my sister… well… she's my adoptive sister… and she knew what I was when we met. I was thirteen. So that was kind of a given. But you did make a good point. They know. I trust them. And I did trust my ex. So _why_ didn't I trust her enough to tell her _that?_ "

After a thoughtful pause, the therapist replied, "What did you have to lose by telling her?"

"So much," Supergirl sighed. "She could've called me a freak. She could've told the media. She could've been fine with it, but someone could have found out and she could have gotten hurt." Feeling tears well in her eyes, Supergirl then continued, "But… it should have been her choice to take those risks. And I shouldn't have asked her to marry me if I wasn't ready to trust her with my secret."

"The 'shoulds' won't help us now, I'm afraid, so let's try to steer clear of those, okay? The past is the past, which you can't change. That's where the Radical Acceptance comes in. We can't change the choice you made, but we can learn from it. So… You said she could have called you a freak or told the media. Did you think she would do those things?"

"Well, no, but… I mean… no. I'm almost certain she wouldn't."

"So… Let's dig deeper. What stopped you then?"

"I don't _know,"_ Supergirl huffed, clearly frustrated.

"It's okay. Keep going. You can do this."

"I don't know, though. Why do you think I couldn't do it?"

The therapist's lips curled ever-so-slightly into a smile as she told her client, "I can't help but wonder… if perhaps… beneath everything else… there was some fear of intimacy."

"What? We were intimate all the time. I don't—"

"Not physical intimacy. Emotional intimacy. True vulnerability."

Supergirl looked absolutely stunned.

"Thoughts?" the therapist pressed.

"I… but… I'm…"

"What was the risk to your heart, getting close to her like that?"

"I don't know. I guess maybe whatever I subconsciously saw as the threat… was… made up by me?"

"Tell me more."

"Maybe that sense of fear that I probably felt… maybe that was created by some boogey-man type mythos and I just… fed it by saying, 'I have to keep her safe. What if something happens?' And maybe focusing on _that_ was what kept me from addressing the real issue, which was that… I was scared to be 100% me with her?"

Again, the therapist smiled, "I think you're right on top of it. So, let me ask you… What would have made you scared to be your authentic self?"

All at once, like being stabbed through the heart with a sword of ice, Supergirl felt the realization hit her.

"My daughter's father."


	24. Chapter 24

"You okay?" Alex asked, upon seeing Kara enter the apartment.

Kara shook her head.

"Kar? What's wrong?" her sister pressed, looking as concerned as she felt.

"I don't want to talk about it," Kara said flatly. "Just a rough therapy session."

Biting her lip, Alex nodded her understanding.

"Dinner's ready."

"Not hungry, but thank you."

Dumbfounded, Alex stared at her sister in disbelief.

"You're… not… hungry?"

Kara was always hungry.

"No," the hero replied simply.

"Oh… Okay… Um… So… Now I know something's really wrong."

"I told you I'm not okay," Kara snapped. "But I'll be fine. So just drop it."

Looking rather astounded at her sister's outburst, Alex watched as Kara made her way into the dining room where Alura was sitting at the table. After following her into the room, Alex silently served her niece her meal, served herself, then sat down beside her.

But Alura didn't eat.

"Mom?" she questioned, looking up at Kara, who was leaning against the wall, staring off into space.

"Eat your dinner," her mother replied, sounding slightly sterner than she'd really intended.

Alura, sensing the serious tone, said nothing and began eating her meal.

Alex had only taken a few bites when Kara walked away towards her bedroom.

The two finished their dinner in complete silence, both feeling the heavy tension in the air from Kara's demeanor, until Alura was done and finally spoke.

"Auntie…"

"Yeah, baby," Alex said softly, finally looking up at Alura.

"What's wrong with Mom?"

Alex let out a long, soft sigh as she rubbed her temples and tried hard to come up with an age-appropriate explanation for her sister's behavior.

"You're mad at her, right?" Alex asked.

"Of course. She made Ma leave," Alura replied matter-of-factly.

"Can you think about how that might make your mother feel for a minute?"

Alura blinked. It was developmentally understandable that she had never considered her mother's feelings in the wake of the nightmare that was losing her second mother. As an eleven-year-old, the world still mostly revolved around her. But as she sat at the table, saying nothing for a long while, thinking hard about what her aunt had asked her to do, she had the weighty realization that her mother was likely hurt by her rejection.

"It's my fault Mom is upset?" Alura asked, her voice small and sad.

"None of this is your fault, Alura. But I do think you hurt your mother's feelings when you yell at her, say mean things, and don't listen."

"But she made Ma leave!" Alura shouted, a sudden flash of anger crossing her face.

"You don't know the whole story, Alura. I don't say this to patronize you, but please, trust me – _trust me –_ when I tell you that the situation is very complicated, and that there are a lot of feelings on both sides that played a role in what happened. Okay?"

Alura shook her head stubbornly.

"Tell me what really happened," she insisted.

Again, Alex let out a long sigh.

"I can't, Alura. But your mother will tell you when you're a little older."

"That's bullshit!" Alura screamed, smashing her fists on the table. "I'm not a baby! Why does everyone treat me like a baby?"

Alex stared at her niece in disbelief. She'd never actually heard Alura swear before.

"Alura… You can't say things like that. It—"

Before Alex could explain her reasoning for this, Kara appeared in the dining room looking cross.

"Did I just hear you swear, Alura?" Kara seethed.

"Yeah. So?" her daughter shot back, crossing her arms defiantly.

"Go to your room."

"Make me."

Seeing the combination of frustration and exhaustion on her sister's face, Alex cut in, saying, "Alura. Listen to your mother."

Too irritated herself to put up a fight, Alura simply spat, " _Fine,_ " and stormed off to her room.

"What just happened?" Kara demanded, as soon as her daughter's bedroom door was slammed loudly shut.

"She wants to know what's wrong with you. And she's also very angry at you. And she wants to know why Lena is gone. And she has no answers."

"She's eleven!"

"She just doesn't understand, Kara. I'm not saying you should tell her. I'm just pointing out that she—"

"I don't need a lecture from you about parenting!" the Kryptonian barked.

"Okay, you know what? You obviously need some space right now, so I'm going to head home, and we can talk tomorrow when you're—"

"Okay. Go then."

Looking disappointed, but at a loss for what else to do to ease the tension, Alex left.

~!~!~

The next morning, getting Alura to school was something straight out of a reality TV show. It was World War III, without exaggeration.

After screaming, swearing, kicking, and even punching her mother, Kara was finally able to very nearly drag her daughter out of the apartment and a few blocks down to her school.

Alura stormed into the building without saying goodbye, even when Kara softly said, "I love you."

~!~!~

Two hours later, while Kara sat at her desk at CatCo, half-heartedly writing up her latest article, the hero got a phone call from the principal.

"She what?" Kara gaped. Upon receiving confirmation of what she'd thought she'd heard on the other end of the line, she breathed, "Oh, wow. I am so sorry. I'll be there in a few minutes."

Luckily for Kara, she'd found out a couple of weeks prior that Lena had taken a job at a school the next town over. Although she felt absolutely terrible about Lena needing to avoid her and her daughter, she was grateful that she knew she wouldn't run into her former partner while visiting the school or picking her daughter up after class.

The entire way there, Kara's heart was pounding. How bad was it? Was Alura hurt? After arriving, she found her daughter in the principal's office, sitting in a chair in the corner. The principal was sitting behind the desk.

"Miss Danvers, I'm afraid Alura is in a lot of trouble." Kara opened her mouth to speak, but the principal continued, "She broke a child's nose this morning, and very badly hurt another."

"She… she _broke their nose?_ " Kara gasped, shocked and horrified by what the principal had said.

"Yes. The ambulance is bringing him to the hospital. Alura is going to be suspended for a week, and I very much hope that when she comes back, she has an incredible change in attitude."

" _A week?!"_ Alura cried. "That's not fair!"

"Alura!" Kara growled. "Silence."

"But—"

"Not. Another. Word."

Seeing the rage in her mother's eyes, more intensely than she'd ever witnessed it, Alura was temporarily stunned into silence.

"And Miss Danvers?" the principal said. "She'll need to see the school counselor at least twice a week when she comes back."

Alura's mouth fell open, but when she saw the angry glance her mother shot her, she closed it immediately and rose from her seat.

"Absolutely," Kara agreed. "I think that's a wonderful idea."

Kara spoke very few words that evening, and Alura was sent to bed without supper.

~!~!~

Thankfully, Kara had therapy the next day.

"How are you this afternoon?" her therapist asked, as she sat down on the couch.

"Terrible," the hero sighed, hanging her head in her hands. "My daughter beat the shit out of two kids at school and got suspended for a week, and I think it's my fault."

"How could that be your fault?"

"Because I upset her. She hates me. She… She thinks… Well… She _knows_ that it's my fault my ex left."

"It's highly doubtful that her behavior is a reflection of you as a person."

"Of course it is! Every parent is responsible for their child's behavior."

"You might be responsible for her actions and the consequences, but it doesn't mean that you caused them."

Supergirl paused and considered her therapist's words.

"I guess so," she sighed. "But what really scares me is that she broke one of the kid's noses. She's smaller than them."

The therapist took a moment to respond, considering what her client had said, before realizing out loud, "You think she has your powers."

"I know she does."

"Oh, my. Well, that certainly is a stressful reality."

"No shit," Supergirl huffed. Then, immediately she followed this with, "Sorry. I'm so overwhelmed."

"You can swear in here. No judgment or expectations on my part. Please, speak freely."

Nodding, Supergirl continued, "I don't know how to help her. But at least they're going to have her meet with the school counselor twice a week when she gets back."

"That's good. That's really, really good. She likely needs a third-party perspective and an unbiased ear to vent to."

"But even my sister can't seem to get through to her."

"She's family," the therapist pointed out.

"True," Supergirl agreed. "Very true. Anyway, honestly… All I can think about is how I wish my ex was here. She'd know exactly what to do, and my daughter would listen to her. My daughter always listened to her. I just wish she'd listen to _me_ the way she used to."

"She's got a lot of anger. But you know what that means."

Sighing, Supergirl replied, "There's something underneath." When her therapist nodded, she added, "I think she's depressed."

"She very likely is. She lost a parent."

"It was always just us. She'd never had another parent. And then when my ex came along… everything changed, and she was so, _so_ happy. I ruined that. I ruined everything."

"Do you think maybe we should talk more about why this happened?"

Supergirl shook her head vigorously, gritting her teeth.

"You were ready," the therapist told her. "It would appear that you're avoiding."

Supergirl nodded.

"I know this is painful, but if you don't work through this, it will continue to weigh you down and hold you back. You'll continue to feel guilty and terrible about yourself. Nothing changes if nothing changes."

Supergirl hadn't heard such a hard truth from her therapist before. She wasn't used to be challenged yet, so it took her by surprise.

"You're right," she confessed. "I need to deal with this. But I don't know where to start."

"Shall we start at the beginning?"

With a long, heavy sigh, Supergirl nodded slowly and started, "Then we start with my first love…"

~!~!~

The hero came home exhausted and emotionally drained, and her sister noticed immediately.

"Hey, are you—"

"Thanks for watching the kid, Alex," Kara said softly, even her voice giving away her fatigue.

"Kar?"

"I'm sorry I'm such an asshole," the Kryptonian sighed.

"You're not an asshole, Kara. You're just going through a really hard time."

"Yeah. True. But I've been taking it out on you."

Biting her lip, Alex told her, "Well… I forgive you, okay? Just know that I'm here when you're ready to talk."

Looking around the room to check for her daughter, who seemed to be shut in her bedroom, Kara confessed, "Therapy is fucking hard. And I miss Lena, Alex."

Nodding, her sister said, "I know, honey. I hear you. But you're gonna get through this. And so will Alura."

Kara nodded too and sat down on the couch.

"I told her about the things that happened before Alura was born."

Alex didn't sit. She just stared. Kara never, ever talked about her past.

"Well?" Kara pressed. "Don't just stare at me. Say something."

"I'm… I'm proud of you. I… I honestly didn't think you'd go there."

"Thanks," Kara laughed. "Total faith in me, I see."

"It's not like that, Kar. You just don't talk about that stuff, like, ever, so… I didn't think that would necessarily change with therapy. But I'm really glad you're talking about it."

"Yeah…"

"What are you thinking?" Alex pressed, when her sister didn't say anything else but continued to stare off at the wall, looking pensive.

"That it hurts."

"I bet," Alex sighed, finally sitting down beside her sister and hugging her tightly. "I love you, Kar. Therapy digs things up and makes things hurt more before they feel better. But they _do_ feel better eventually."

"What do you know about therapy?" the hero chuckled lightly.

Alex shrugged, suddenly serious, and told her, "I've had therapy."

"What? You were in therapy and you never told me?"

Alex nodded and explained, "When Maggie left."

"Oh," Kara said simply, nodding her head in understanding. "How come you didn't tell me, though?"

"Honestly? I didn't want you to think I was weak."

The hero's mouth fell open as she stared at Alex.

"Alex, I would _never_ think that about you, no matter what. Especially not for going to therapy. It takes a lot of balls to go do that."

Alex smiled.

"What?" her sister asked in confusion.

"Did you hear yourself say that?"

"No. Say what?"

"It takes _strength_ to go to therapy."

"Well, I didn't mean _me,_ " Kara huffed, crossing her arms.

"Yes, you, kid. Even you. _Lots_ of strength. I'm proud of you. Don't give up, okay? You'll work through it."

"Thank you, Alex," the hero sighed, finally wearing a small smile as she embraced her sister. "I love you."

"Love you too, sis."


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, people. First, I love you all to death for sticking with me and reading this far. I love the comments, and all the kudos make my day. I am so appreciative for all the love and feedback I've gotten for this story.
> 
> The being said...
> 
> I know Alura is a little shit and that Kara and Lena are making a ton of big mistakes. This is not an example of model parenting. Just wanted to remind everyone that I'm fully aware of this and that I don't think their parenting behaviors are acceptable 😂 All for the sake of the story.
> 
> Feel free to hit me up to chat on Tumblr: echelonwarfare

Alura's suspension came and went with incredibly few words between Kara and her daughter. Alura was too pissed to speak to her mother, and Kara simply didn't know what to say.

Eventually, it was time to bring her back to school.

"Wait," Kara said sternly, lightly gripping her daughter's forearm before allowing her to head up the stairs into the building.

"What?" Alura groaned, rolling her eyes.

"Please, Alura… Stay out of trouble."

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever."

Sighing, Kara watched her daughter shrug her off and storm angrily into the school.

~!~!~

Unfortunately for Kara, another call came in around 11:30 that morning.

"Oh, no," Kara sighed into the phone, lowering her head. "Really?"

"Yes, Miss Danvers. Really."

"So… you're saying Alura loosened the bolts in the teacher's chair and it collapsed under Miss Rojas?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying, yes."

"Is Miss Rojas okay?"

"She's a little bruised from the fall, but she's alright."

"How do you know it was Alura?"

"She told a classmate, who reported it to me."

"Are you sure she—"

"Yes, Miss Danvers. Unfortunately, we're quite sure."

"I'll be there to take her home in fifteen minutes. Is she suspended again?"

"Very much so. Another week, I'm afraid. Miss Danvers… I have to ask…. is something going on at home?"

"I'm sorry to say that, yes, Alura has been having an exceptionally hard time with some things that have been going on."

"Is this being addressed?"

"As best I can. Was Alura able to meet with the counselor?"

"This all happened before she had a chance to. She was supposed to meet with her after lunch."

Letting out a heavy sigh, Kara let her head hit the desk.

"I'm very, very sorry. I'm doing the best I can."

"I'm very sure you are, Miss Danvers. I know it's hard to be a single parent."

"It really is. Thank you for understanding. And I absolutely understand her suspension."

"Miss Danvers… One more thing."

"Yes?"

"If she gets in trouble again… for any reason… she'll be expelled."

Swallowing hard, Kara lifted her head and managed to say, "Understood."

~!~!~

"I want to stay with Auntie," Alura blurted out, as soon as they walked through the door to their apartment.

"What?" Kara gaped. "Surely, you're kidding."

"No. I'm not. I hate it here."

"Alura, _why?_ "

"Because you don't care about me at all."

"Alura! That's not true! What happened with Lena had _nothing_ to do with you!"

"You're a liar! You won't even tell me what happened!"

"You're eleven!"

"Yeah! I'm _eleven,_ Mom! I'm not a baby! Why won't you just be honest with me? Why do you have to hide everything?"

"Alura, I don't _hide_ things from you. They're just not age appropriate."

"That's crap," Alura shot back, "and you know it."

"It's not 'crap,' young lady. And what happened with Lena is absolutely NO excuse for your unacceptable behavior."

"Then let me move in with Auntie."

"Alura, Auntie—"

"Doesn't want me either?"

"Oh, honey. It's not that. It's—"

But as Kara moved into hug Alura, her daughter shoved her away roughly, once again surprising her mother with her strength. She was getting stronger.

"Alura," Kara tried desperately. "Please."

"Don't touch me!" the girl shouted, throwing her backpack across the room, followed by a loud cracking noise coming from the wall. "I hate you!"

Kara felt a knot form in her throat as she attempted to fight back tears.

"I don't know what to do, Alura. I don't know how to help you feel better."

"Fix things with Ma or let me move in with Auntie Alex."

"Alura—"

"I'm just going to walk out of here if you don't."

"You will do no such thing!"

"Nobody wants me. Why doesn't anybody want me?"

"Alura, please. That's not true. I want you. Auntie wants you. We love you very, very much."

"Then I'm moving in with Auntie."

"Go to your room. The answer is no, and that's final."

"How are you going to stop me?" Alura taunted. "You have no idea what my powers are. I could be just as strong as you."

Kara froze.

"Alura," she warned.

"You don't care anyway. You won't even talk to me about my powers."

"I will. I will. Sit down. Let's talk, okay? Let's just talk."

"I don't want to talk to you! I don't even want to _see_ you!"

"Why did you do what you did to your teacher?"

"Because I hate my life and it doesn't matter anyway!"

"It does matter. She got hurt."

"She's fine. She exaggerated. It was just a stupid joke. Everyone else thought it was funny."

"It wasn't funny, Alura. Your classmates might have been impressed, but no one else was. It's completely unacceptable behavior, and you know that."

"I don't care."

"What is it going to take for you to just _stay out of trouble?_ " Kara exclaimed, exhausted from the effort of trying to remain calm and level-headed.

"Let me move in with Auntie."

"Absolutely not."

"Then I'll just get myself expelled."

"Alura! Why would you say that?"

"I hate my life. I hate you. I hate my school."

Again, Kara found herself getting choked up at her daughter's words.

"Do you mean that?"

"Yes!"

"All of it?"

"Yes."

"I'll call your aunt and ask then. Will that keep you out of trouble?"

"Maybe."

"Ugh! Alura!"

"No promises," the girl quipped, crossing her arms. "But I'll _definitely_ get myself expelled if you don't call."

Sighing heavily, Kara turned away, made her way to her bedroom, and shut the door.

With shaking hands, she pulled her sister's number up on her phone and connected the call.

Alex picked up on the second ring.

"Hey, hun. What's up?"

"Alura got suspended again. She loosened the bolts in her teacher's chair so Miss Rojas fell and bruised herself when the chair collapsed under her. If she gets in trouble again, they'll expel her, and she's threatening to do it on purpose if I don't let her move in with you."

"Wait… what? Move in with me? Why?"

"Because she – and I quote – _hates_ me."

"Shit, Kara. I'm sorry."

"I mean… It's just something kids say when they get older, right?" the hero sighed, rubbing her temple with her free hand.

"She's a little young to be pulling this stuff…"

"Maybe I should get her an outside counselor. She didn't have a chance to meet with the one at the school."

"What do _you_ think about her moving in with me?"

"I don't want her to… but if this is the only way to keep her in school…"

"What about an alternative school?"

"Are you kidding me?" Kara snapped. "She'd—"

"I'm just asking, Kar. It's okay. If that's not what you want, then that's not what you want. I completely trust you to make parenting decisions for her. You're a _great_ mom, Kara."

Laughing bitterly, Kara shot back, "Well, that's some bullshit if I've ever heard any."

"You're doing your best. You love your daughter."

"True. But that's not enough."

"So what do youwant to do about this?" Alex asked gently. "I'll back you up, whatever you decide. You know that."

"I don't want her to leave," Kara whimpered. "But maybe it's for the best. You'd be a better parent than I ever was."

"Kara, that's not true. And it's not like she'd stay forever. She'll make it a week, if that, before she cries to go home."

"I don't know, Alex… She seems _very_ serious about hating me and wanting to leave. Her anger hasn't let up at all since Lena left, and it's been…"

"I know," Alex told her. "I know. Is this officially what we're doing?"

Kara started to cry and sobbed, "I have to."

"It's gonna be okay, Kar. I promise. We'll work this out. We'll all be okay."

"Mhmm," the Kryptonian whimpered, unable to form words.

"I'll be there to get her in like twenty minutes, okay?"

"Okay."

~!~!~

When Alex arrived, Kara tried to hug her daughter goodbye, but Alura used an excessive amount of strength to tear herself away and shove her mother backwards.

"Hey!" Alex shouted, raising her voice at her niece for the first time. "Don't you _dare_ touch your mother that way, Alura."

Scowling, but knowing better than to back-talk her aunt – after all, she _was_ moving in – Alura remained silent and slung her backpack over her shoulder.

"Let's go," Alex said firmly. "And just so you know… this isn't going to be a cake walk. It's not a slumber party. You're going to behave. You're going to do your homework. And you're going to stay out of trouble at school."

Alura wanted to grumble back a sarcastic 'whatever,' but exercised what little restraint she had to stay quiet.

"I love you, Kar," Alex whispered, kissing her sister's cheek. "It'll be okay. I'll take good care of her."

"I know you will," Kara choked out, nodding her head. "Thank you."

Alex offered a weak smile, hugged her sister, and walked Alura out of the apartment.

~!~!~

By the end of the first evening without her daughter, Kara was already even more miserable than before. Alone at the dinner table, staring at the meal on her plate that had gone cold fifteen minutes ago, Kara found herself wishing human alcohol would have some effect – _any_ effect – on her alien biology. But alas, no matter how much of it she drank, no intoxication would follow. So she sat at the table, staring at her plate, for a long while, before finally giving up on food and dumping the meal into the garbage disposal.

To Kara's amazement, though her daughter's attitude remained strong and defiant, there were no issues over the next week. Alex gave her nightly reports, and with every day of good behavior, the Kryptonian felt a wave of relief.

"At least she's doing better," Kara said, attempting to convince herself. "I miss her, though."

"Kara…"

"Yeah?"

"I asked if she wanted to see you tomorrow, since it's Saturday and everything, and she said no. I'm really sorry…"

"No, it's… it's fine. I get it."

"Kar…"

"Don't. Don't try to make me feel better about my daughter hating my guts."

"I wasn't—"

"You're doing a great job, Alex. Whatever your strategy is, keep it up."

"I'll try," Alex sighed.

"Thank you, Alex."

After a long pause, Alex commented, "She'll come around, Kara."

"Maybe," the hero replied half-heartedly. "I guess we'll see."

"I'm gonna put the kid to bed, okay? First day back to school tomorrow. I love you."

"Love you too."

~!~!~

Another week of good behavior – this time at school – brought Kara the bittersweet feeling of another strong wave of relief. She missed Alura terribly, of course, but was incredibly grateful for her progress with her education.

"She met with the counselor twice this week," Alex reported to her sister. "I was told she did well."

"That's great!" Kara exclaimed. "Did Alura say anything about it?"

"No. Just that it was 'fine.'"

"Figured as much," Kara chuckled lightly. "I'm glad she's doing well with you, Alex."

"Me too. I'm just sorry things couldn't be different."

"Yeah. But. I guess all that matters is that she's okay. Whether that's with me or you doesn't really matter, I suppose."

Sighing, Alex told her sister, "Listen, Kara. You don't have to put on a tough face for me. I know this is hard."

"Yeah, it is. But I'm her mother, and that means wanting what's best for my daughter, no matter what that is."

"Hang in there, sis. It'll all work itself out."

~!~!~

Kara processed her pain in therapy, with encouragement from her therapist.

"It's okay to be upset about it," the therapist told Supergirl. "Anyone in your shoes would be frustrated and heartbroken."

"I love her so much," Supergirl sobbed, hanging her head in her hands. "I just want her to be okay."

"She will be," the therapist promised. "Kids are resilient, and you said she's doing well with her counselor. That's all very, very good."

"What if… What if she never wants to come home?"

"Cross that bridge if you get there. Don't sweat about things that haven't happened yet. Focus on what's in your control right now."

"I'm trying," Supergirl sighed. "I really am."

"I know you are. And I know you're doing your best. Just don't give up, okay? Keep being the wonderful mother we both know you are."

Supergirl shrugged and mumbled, "Not sure I know that."

Sensing the hero's sorrow, Beau, the amazing therapy dog that he is, put his head on her leg and looked up at her with big, soft eyes. The Kryptonian smiled for the first time since her daughter had moved out.

"Beau really does like you," her therapist pointed out. "He knows you're hurting and wants to make you feel better."

"He's doing a good job."

"Maybe you need a dog," the therapist teased gently.

Supergirl shrugged, "Maybe a cat, someday, but not now. I can't even take care of my own kid, let alone an animal."

"Companionship could be a very important component of this chapter in your life. Whether that's friends, family, or a pet."

"Yeah, that's true, I guess."

"Hang in there, okay? And don't forget that you've told me you have plenty of people who care about you."

Supergirl nodded weakly, checked the clock, and realized their time was up.

"See you same time next week?" she asked.

"Of course," her therapist confirmed with a smile. "I look forward to it."

"Me too. Thanks."

~!~!~

At the end of the fourth week at Alex's apartment, Alura was sat down at the kitchen table for what she assumed was about to be a serious talk.

"What's this about?" Alura asked, her body tensing up as she watched her aunt sit down, her expression stoic.

"It's time to go back to your mom's, Alura."

"What?! Why?! Don't you want me here?!" Alura cried, rising to her feet. "Why doesn't anybody want me?!"

"Alura. Sit down."

Scowling as hot, angry tears filled her eyes, Alura dropped back into the seat.

"I do want you here. I love having you," Alex promised. "But your mother misses you, and you belong at home with her. You can't live with me forever. She's your mom, Alura, whether you like that or not."

"But I hate it there! I hate her!"

There was a long pause before Alex challenged, "I don't think you do, Alura. I think you hate and are rebelling against what happened."

"Whatever," the girl shot back, crossing her arms over her chest defiantly. "I'll just get myself expelled if you send me back."

"Alura. If you get expelled, there's going to be no choice but to have you go to a boarding school. You know that, don't you?"

"WHAT?!" Alura screamed. "A boarding school?! You wouldn't! She wouldn't!"

"She'd have to," her aunt said simply. "It's not like you can just drop out of school at eleven."

"You're just like her," Alura sighed. "You don't care about me at all."

"That's not true. We _both_ want what's best for you. And that's staying in school and living with your mother."

"Fine. Then whatever I do next is your fault."

"For your sake, Alura, I hope you make good choices going forward, because if you don't… you're really not going to like the consequences."

Without another word, Alura packed her bags.


	26. Chapter 26

The first day back at school, all of Alura's progress fell apart.

Kara was called into the principal's office for the last time and told that Alura had had an outburst and had smashed a chair in her counselor's office.

Kara simply stood, staring blankly at the principal, as she was told about her daughter's actions and that she was consequently be expelled from the school. Even Alura didn't speak upon hearing this. Both their expressions cold and emotionless, the two left the office.

This time, when Kara sent Alura to her sister's apartment, it was not by Alura's request. It was to protect her daughter from the brutal outburst that was undoubtedly to come if she stayed in Kara's presence. Kara was furious, heartbroken, and completely at a loss for what to do next.

So when she dropped Alura off at Alex's, she was completely void of expression. She knew she had to bottle her emotions in front of her daughter, and Alex knew immediately that this was what was happening. As soon as Alura had stormed off into the spare bedroom, Alex wrapped her arms around her sister and hugged her tightly.

But Kara stiffened at the gesture, her muscles going rigid.

"I have to go," she said flatly, nearly choking on the words, but refusing to cry in front of her sister.

She knew that when she let it out, there was virtually nothing that would be able to stop it.

So rather than go back to her apartment, where the neighbors would hear her outburst, the Kryptonian made her way back to an empty CatCo, collapsed at her desk, and screamed. She screamed until she'd melted out of her chair and onto the floor, her lungs sore from the effort they'd been involuntarily expending.

It was only when Kara's thoughts drifted to Kryptonite that she knew she had to do something else.

Then, the hero, finally emotionally exhausted enough to stop screaming and sobbing, rose to her feet and walked all the way to the hospital. Before stepping inside, she pulled out her cell phone and called her sister.

"Kara, you okay? I would've thought you'd have called by now, and I was worried, so—"

"I'm checking myself into the hospital, Alex."

"What? Why? What happened?"

"Because I'm a terrible mother, and if I don't do this, I'm going to do something else that's far more detrimental to my health."

"Kara… Are you… Are you saying you—"

"Yeah, Alex. Right now, I want to die."

"Jesus, Kara. I—"

"I'm going inside. I'll call you again when they let me."

"Kara, I love you," Alex told her, starting to cry. "You're a good mom. You're a good sister. It's going to be okay. Be safe."

"I will, Alex. That's why I'm doing this. I love you too."

~!~!~

It was 24 hours before Kara was allowed to use the phone on the psychiatric unit. The doctors insisted on giving her medication to stabilize her, and although Kara knew full well that human medications would do nothing to her alien biology, she took them to appease the process. She knew what she really needed was a stable, sterile environment to recover from the breakdown she was having. Intermittently throughout the first day, the hero had had several outbursts. Luckily, none of them were violent or self-destructive. She simply sat on her bed, screaming and crying and screaming more until she exhausted herself.

At the end of the first day, Kara learned from the nurses on the unit that her sister had been calling almost non-stop since lunchtime, and that she was finally allowed to call her back.

"Kara!" Alex exclaimed, upon hearing her sister's voice on the other end of the phone. "Jesus! I tried so many times to call, but they kept telling me—"

"How's Alura?" Kara interrupted her. "Is she okay?"

"Kara, she's… Look, first tell me about you, okay? We can talk about Alura in a minute."

"I'm fine, Alex."

She wasn't fine.

"Kara…"

"How is Alura?"

"Kar… She's… She's freaking out."

"Does she know where I am?"

"Yeah. I had to tell her."

"Why?"

"Because you're her mom, and she deserves to know that you're not well."

"That's bullshit, Alex! She's a child! She didn't need to hear that her mother is having a mental breakdown!"

"She's a child, but she's not a baby, Kara. I'm sorry I made a choice that you don't agree with, but it was what I felt was right in the moment, and I couldn't run it by you, so I trusted my gut. I'm sorry."

Sighing heavily, Kara pushed a shaking hand through her hair and told Alex, "It's okay. Maybe you're right. Maybe she's old enough to know I'm not well. She knows it's not her fault, though, right?"

"Yeah, I think so. I explained that you're under a lot of stress and just needed to get away for a while, to get some more support."

"That's… That's a great way to put it, actually. Thank you, Alex."

"I mean I didn't tell her that you… you know. What you told me. But listen… Kara… She's been saying some things…"

"What things?" the hero asked anxiously, hearing the solemn tone of her sister's voice.

"She wants to move in with Lena."

Kara scoffed bitterly and replied, "Well _that's_ not fucking happening."

"I know. But I don't know how to tell her that Lena… you know. Wouldn't allow it. She thinks it's just you not wanting her to be happy."

Sighing again, Kara said, "She's never going to be happy with me."

"She's eleven. She will understand when she's older."

"Maybe."

"Anyway… What do I tell her?"

"Tell her that's not an option. That's all either of us can really say that won't hurt her more."

"Fair enough. Just take care of yourself and try not to worry about it, okay? Just focus on feeling better."

"I'm trying," Kara promised. "I am."

"I know, honey. I know. Hang in there."

"I gotta go. I love you, Alex."

"Love you, too."

~!~!~

Kara did as promised and put an incredible amount of effort into groups and individual counseling sessions. She didn't really like the staff at the hospital – the therapists certainly weren't like her own – but she did her best to benefit from the services offered. Still, her thoughts continually returned to her daughter's unhappiness, and the knowledge that she'd soon need to be sent to boarding school. It was too difficult to stop blaming herself for the situation, so Kara continued to do so, until finally, in a move of complete and total desperation, she sat down at the unit's phone.

Taking a deep, steadying breath, Kara dialed a number she knew by heart.

"Hello?" the voice on the other end of the line greeted her.

Again, the hero took a steadying breath.

"Lena… It's Kara. I—"

"Why the fuck are you calling me?" Lena seethed. "I'm hanging up."

"WAIT! Lena, please! It's not about me! It's about Alura!"

Silence.

"She got expelled," Kara explained quickly.

"What am I supposed to do about it?" Lena said weakly.

To her own amazement, Kara could hear the sudden sadness in her ex's voice.

"I don't know. I'm desperate, Lena. I—"

"Wait… What number are you calling me from?"

"I'm… kind of in the hospital…"

More silence.

"Look, that's not important. Like I said, this isn't about me. It's about the kid, so please… please, listen."

"Kara, are you… are you in the psych unit?"

Silence.

"I need your help, Lena," Kara finally said, choosing to ignore the question. "I don't know what to do. She's been living with Alex. My only option is boarding school."

"She's _living_ with Alex? For how long?"

"Well, after she beat the shit out of a few kids and put one in the hospital, and then loosened the bolts in Miss Rojas' chair, she was with Alex for about a month. She did fine in school that whole time. The, the day after she got home, as soon as she was back in school, she smashed the counselor's chair and got expelled."

"Holy shit," Lena breathed. "What _happened?_ "

A long pause followed before Kara answered, "She misses you. She hates me – literally hates me – for ruining our family, and she wants nothing to do with me now. She's rebelling against me, and now… now I don't know what to do. I don't want to send her away to boarding school, but—"

"I'll call them."

"What?"

"I'll call the school."

"Lena… I appreciate that, but I wasn't calling for a favor, and I don't think they're going to change their minds."

"Then why did you call?"

Sighing, Kara replied, "Honestly, I just wanted you to tell me what to do. You always know what to do."

"Don't send her to boarding school."

"What?"

"I went to boarding school, and I can promise you, if she goes, all of these behaviors will only get worse."

"Then what do I do? I can't just keep her out of school. She won't let me homeschool her. She's out of control, Lena, and she hates my guts. She… She shoved me, kicked me, punched me a few times… and…"

"And what?"

Looking around to make sure no one was near her to overhear, Kara finished, "She has… certain… abilities."

After hesitating before offering her reply, Lena finally answered, "Wow."

"I know," Kara sighed. "I was really hoping she wouldn't have them."

"I can imagine."

The fact that Lena was being so incredibly understanding made Kara's stomach turn. All she wanted to say was, 'I miss you. It's so good to hear your voice.' But she knew the call would be ended, and she'd be up a creek if that happened, so she bit her tongue.

"If I can't homeschool her, and I can't send her to boarding school… What do I do? I really don't think calling the school will work, and even if it did, Alura would just blow the whole thing up again."

"I… I could call her."

"Miss Rojas?"

"No, Kara. Alura."

"What?"

"I'll talk to her. She listens to me."

"She'll ask you to come home."

"I think she needs to know what happened."

"She's a kid! I'm not going to tell her—"

"I'm going to tell her."

Sighing heavily, Kara conceded, "Okay. You're right. She's eleven now. She deserves to know what a piece of shit her mother is. She already hates me anyway. Might as well seal the deal."

"I'll be gentle. I would never try to turn her against you, Kara. I would have hoped you'd know that I'm not like that."

"T-Thank you, L-Lena," the hero stammered. "I… I don't… I don't know how to thank you."

"You don't need to thank me. I'm not doing this for you. I'm doing it for Alura."

"Of course," Kara agreed quickly. "I know that. Thank you all the same."

"So, I should call her at Alex's number?"

"Please."

"If I can get her to agree to behave… and if I'm sure she means it… I'll call the school and convince them to take her back."

"How?"

"She's going to write an essay and an apology to school, including Miss Rojas and the principal."

"How like a teacher to make a kid write an essay," Kara chuckled lightly, forgetting that Lena was no longer someone in her life she could tease.

"I'll call her in the morning," Lena said simply, ignoring the playful joke.

"Thanks," Kara said again.

More silence fell before Lena said, "Um… Kara?"

"Yeah?"

"Please… Take care of yourself."

Blinking, Kara tried to clear her head. Was Lena really telling her to take care of herself? Surely, she was just… Well, Kara didn't know exactly. But it felt strange to hear tenderness in her voice. In fact, it hurt. Kara's heart ached to say, 'I love you,' but she knew she would destroy any chance of receiving Lena's help if she blurted out her own feelings, so she decided on the safe reply.

"I'll try."


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Get ready for a liiiiiittle more drama...

"Alex?" Lena's voice came through the phone. "It's Lena."

"Oh… Um… Hi…" Alex replied, clearly stunned.

"Can I… Can I please talk to Alura?"

"I, uh… sure?"

Too confused and shocked by the fact that Lena was calling her to ask questions, Alex covered the microphone and called out for Alura.

"I don't want to talk to her," Alura said quickly, noticing that Alex was holding the phone.

"It's not your mom."

"Who is it then?" Alura asked, tilting her head in confusion. Then, realizing all at once the only person it could be, other than her mother, she snatched the phone away from her aunt and lifted it to her ear, saying softly, "Lena?"

"Yeah, baby girl. It's me."

"W-Why are you calling? I thought you didn't want to talk to me again…"

Sighing, Lena hung her head as she felt a knot form in her throat at the sound of her would-have-been daughter's sweet, pained voice.

"I heard you've been getting into trouble."

Alura's brow furrowed, her fist clenching as she felt a wave of anger crash over her.

"Yeah, so?!" she growled. "Who cares?"

There was an intentional pause for emphasis before Lena calmly replied, "I care, Alura. I care a lot."

"You're not even here!" the girl cried. "You left me! You _abandoned_ me!"

Lena had to cover her mouth to keep the sob from coming out. This time, the long pause was unintentional. She simply couldn't speak, knowing full well how much Alura was hurting.

"Alura," she finally choked out. "I need you to listen to me. Can you do that?"

Also starting to cry, Alura stammered, "Y-Yeah."

"Remember when I told you how important school is?"

"Y-Yeah," the girl sniffled, sitting down on the couch as she wiped her nose on the sleeve of her sweater.

"Remember how I told you that I'm proud of you? And that I love you very much?"

"Y-Yeah, b-but—"

"There is no 'but,' Alura. Those things are all still true. I love you, I'm proud of you, and you need to stay in school."

"B-But it's t-too late now! They expelled me!"

"If I could fix that… would you stay out of trouble?"

Alura went silent. She wasn't sure if she could promise that, and she didn't want to lie to Lena.

"I don't know," she confessed. "I'm so angry, Ma. I just want you to come home."

"I know, baby, but… but I can't."

"But _why?_ " Alura wailed, punching one of the couch pillows as the volume of her voice increased.

"Alura. Take a deep breath for me, honey," Lena pleaded with her, her own tone slow and steady.

The young girl tried to breathe, she really did. Tried hard. But all she could manage were uncontrolled, heaving sobs.

"Come home," she begged. "Don't leave me here alone."

"You're not alone. You have Alex and your mother. And they both love you very much. Just like I do."

"Then why aren't you here?! Why won't you come home?! No one will tell me what really happened! It's not fair!"

"Alura. Deep breath, please."

Her whole body shaking, Alura finally forced herself to slow her breathing. Lena only replied when she heard the sound of Alura's shaky breaths becoming more even.

"Good girl. Now listen to me carefully, Alura. You need to know that what happened between your mother and I was absolutely _not_ your fault. Do you understand?"

"No," Alura said flatly. "If it wasn't my fault, why would you abandon me? Can't I just come live with you?"

Wiping a stray tear and sighing softly, Lena replied, "No, baby."

"Tell me why! What did I do wrong? Why don't you want me?"

"Alura. This isn't about you. I promise you that. I need you to hear me."

"Then tell me what happened. Mom won't tell me anything. She thinks I'm a baby."

"And I think you're old enough to know the truth. But I want you to understand something else, Alura…" When the line went silent and the girl didn't reply, Lena continued slowly, "Everyone makes mistakes. So I don't want you to blame your mother for this."

"If it was just a mistake she made, then why are you still gone?"

Stunned by the point the eleven-year-old was making, Lena found herself unable to speak.

"Lena?" Alura pressed, hearing nothing on the other end of the line.

"It's complicated."

"Everyone says that!" Alura screamed, so loudly that Lena had to pull her phone away from her ear. "It's bullshit!"

"Watch. Your. Mouth. Young lady," Lena said firmly.

"S-Sorry," the girl stuttered, biting her lip as embarrassment gripped her. "Just… please. Please, tell me what's going on."

"Your mother never told me she was Supergirl. I found out the day we went to shop for rings, because there was a robbery, and she changed into her suit."

"That's… That's why you left us…?"

"Yes, Alura. Because your mother spent over a year hiding the truth from me. She let me live in the same apartment with you. She made me a part of your family. But she didn't trust me with her secret. She betrayed me, Alura. When you love someone, you build trust, and you respect that trust by not keeping secrets."

Somewhat overwhelmed by the knowledge of what had really gone down between Lena and her mother, Alura was at a loss for words. Her thoughts raced back and forth between 'it's all her fault' to 'why can't they just get over it and move on.' This went on for several long moments before Lena interrupted the silence.

"Alura?"

"I'm here. I just… I'm angry."

"I was too, baby."

"You're not now?"

Hesitating, Lena began to reply, "I… Well… I mean… I am. I am still angry. But I can put that aside, because I love you dearly, and I want you to stay in school and stay out of trouble. So, now that you know what really happened… Can you do that for me? Can you stay out of trouble?"

Alura almost said 'yes.' She wanted to. She could hear it in the woman's voice that she was telling the truth. Lena did love her. But she wasn't ready to give up on her family, so exercising as much control as she was able, Alura stood her ground.

"Come home."

"Alura, I can't. You know I can't."

"Yes, you can! You said it yourself: Mom made a mistake. She loves you. She wants you to come home, too. I just know it!"

"I know she does, Alura, but I…"

"Don't you love her? Don't you love me? You said you did…"

"Of course I do!" Lena cried. "Of course I love you, Alura."

"But don't you love Mom too?"

Wanting to put her head through a wall, Lena let out a frustrated sigh and said nothing.

"She's sick, you know," Alura said slowly, testing the water.

"What happened?"

"I don't know. No one tells me anything. Auntie just said she 'needs more support.'"

Sighing again, Lena answered, "Do you know what hospital she's at?"

"The one uptown, but Auntie says I can't visit."

Biting her lip, Lena replied, "It's for the best, honey. Your mom needs some time to feel better."

"Do you think it's my fault?"

"What do you mean, sweetie?"

"Do you think it's my fault that Mom's in the hospital?" Alura whimpered softly, sounding guilty for the first time.

"No, baby. I don't." When she heard Alura's crying become louder again, Lena added, "I think it's mine."

"What's gonna happen to her? Is she going to come home?"

"She'll be okay. She's very, very strong. Inside _and_ out. But you should be nice to your mom, okay?"

"She ruined our family!" the girl cried. "I don't want to be nice to her!"

"She made a mistake," Lena insisted firmly. "And you still have her and Auntie."

"Ma," Alura sobbed. "Come home."

"Listen to me, Alura," Lena said sternly, once again choking back her own tears. "I'm going to call the school and tell them that you've promised to behave yourself, and that you want to go back to school. You're going to write an essay of why your behavior was unacceptable, and then an apology to the principal and Miss Rojas. Do you understand me?"

"What?! An essay? Are you serious?"

"I'm very, very serious, Alura. You need to stay in school, and you need to _stay out of trouble_."

"You sound just like her," Alura growled.

"Your mom is right on this one. I need you to behave. Do it for me, okay? Trust me. Please."

"Yeah, okay," Alura sighed. "I'll write it today."

"Good girl. Let Auntie Alex read it when you're done, and if she thinks it's acceptable and the school agrees to give you another chance, you should be back in school on Monday."

"I hate school," Alura whined. "I hate my life. I miss you, Ma. _Please,_ come home. I love you. Mom loves you."

"I know, baby. I know. I love you too, Alura. Now, please, stay out of trouble."

"Will you call me again, at least? To check on me?"

Again, Lena found herself hesitating. She knew she shouldn't keep the kid's hopes alive, but she also knew she did love the girl dearly and that leaving her high and dry as she had been would only make things worse.

"If I promise to call you next week to check in, will you promise to be a good girl and to be nice at school? Especially to your counselor?"

Alura's reply was an immediate 'yes.'

"Good. Then I'll talk to you next week. You'd better behave, young lady."

"I will, Ma. I promise."

"I love you, Alura. Your mom loves you too. I know you're angry, but please don't forget that."

"Okay," Alura whimpered, tearing up again as she realized that Lena was about to end the call. "Love you."

"Goodnight, Alura."

"Night, Lena."

~!~!~

After making the calls to the school superintendent and the principal, Lena found herself sitting on the couch with shaking hands. She knew she should update Kara on the status of the situation, but she also wasn't sure if she could handle hearing her ex's voice again.

In the end, she decided that the right thing to do, though extremely difficult, was to call Kara.

After texting Alex for the number to Kara's unit at the hospital, Lena's trembling hands dialed the number.

 _Get a grip, Lena,_ she told herself, as the phone rang. _You're just telling her what happened. Nothing more. Say what you have to say and end the call. Simple as that._

But once the nurse put Kara on the phone and Lena heard the woman say a soft, 'Hello?' she knew there was no getting through this unscathed.

"Hey," the teacher said slowly. "I, um… I called the school."

"Did you talk to Alura?"

"I did. She agreed to write the essay and the apology letter and promised to behave."

"What did the school say?" Kara asked anxiously, hoping desperately that they would accept her daughter back into the classroom.

"They said yes, of course," Lena chuckled. "I spoke with the superintendent, who adores me, and she agreed to allow Alura back into class. Miss Rojas and the principal were also okay with it after speaking with me."

"Wow, Lena… Thank you. You sure did work your magic."

"Alura needs to be in school," the brunette replied simply.

"Thank you," the hero repeated. "Thank you so much."

"I didn't do it for you," Lena reminded her.

Despite knowing full well that this was true, Kara felt a stinging sensation spread through her chest at the words. They sounded cold and unforgiving. But why shouldn't they? Lena was going to be pissed at her forever, Kara was positive.

"I know," the Kryptonian assured her. "Thank you all the same. Anyway… Do you think she'll really stay out of trouble this time?"

"Yes, I do. I think she understands, for the most part."

"You told her what happened, huh?"

"Of course."

"What did she say?"

"She said—"

"Wait, what did _you_ say?"

"I told her that… that you hid the truth from me. That you broke my trust. That you betrayed me."

The burning sensation in Kara's chest spread to the rest of her body.

"I'm s—"

"Don't. Don't do that. I don't want to hear your empty apologies."

"They're not empty, Lena," Kara shot back. "They never were. I meant it then, and I mean it now. I _am_ very sorry."

"I don't care," Lena seethed, her voice suddenly harsh and bitter. "I did this for Alura, _not_ you."

"I know. I know. So, what did Alura say to that? She hates me more now, doesn't she?"

"She was… understandably upset. But I reminded her that everyone makes mistakes."

Stunned and confused by Lena's words, Kara went quiet for a few long moments before asking, "But… I thought you—"

"I'm still pissed. I still don't want anything to do with you. But I don't want your daughter to hate you. You're a good mom, Kara. I know that much, at least."

This was all it took for Kara to break down in tears, and as soon as Lena heard the sound, she felt her heart clench.

"D-Don't do that…" Lena weakly tried, hating the sound of her former lover's tears.

"I'm s-sorry," the hero stammered. "I s-should go. T-Thank you again."

Drawing in a breath of courage, Lena cried, "Kara, wait!"

The blonde's hand froze in place as she held back a reply, waiting for Lena to explain herself.

"I… I know why you did it."

"You do?"

"I understand."

"You… do?"

"You were trying to protect me, and you were scared I was going to hate you. There was no good time to tell me that would have been soon enough and safe enough. It was one or the other: tell me too soon and take a big risk, or wait too long and break my trust. I get it."

"Then… Then why are you—"

"Because I can't trust you, Kara, and you broke my fucking heart."

"Let me fix it!" Kara pleaded. "Let me fix this. Let me earn your trust again. I swear, I'll do anything. _Anything!_ Just—"

"I have to go," Lena managed, catching herself before she started to cry and ending the call abruptly.


	28. Chapter 28

Kara's seventh day in the hospital started slowly, without issue. The mental health workers checked on her in the morning, to make sure she hadn't hurt herself, and the doctor checked in just before lunch to ask about how she was feeling on the medications. She told them the truth (without explanation): no, they weren't working. In fact, she was experiencing no improvement whatsoever. She'd been given hope regarding her daughter's status with the school, but her feelings about herself as a mother weighed her down and kept her in a pit of despair that she found herself unable to shake. Still, the stable environment of the hospital, away from the outside world, helped her remain calm and kept her safe, so she stayed.

That afternoon, though, Kara was startled when a mental health worker entered her room, where she was quietly reading a book from the hospital's library, and jarred her back into reality.

"You got a visitor, Danvers."

Attempting to blink away her confusion, Kara asked, "Huh?"

"Visitor. Downstairs. Let's go."

"But I—"

"Do you want to see your visitor or not?" the employee asked, losing his patience.

"Who is it?" the patient asked, slowly rising to her feet.

"How the hell should I know?" the worker retorted, rolling his eyes dramatically. "Let's go, Danvers, before I tell them to bugger off."

The coldness of the worker was off putting, but Kara's confusion regarding her surprise mystery visitor kept her from reacting. Hesitantly, she followed the worker downstairs into a private meeting room. As soon as the door opened, the hero's Kryptonian heart stopped.

"L-Lena," she stammered. "W-What—"

Jumping slightly at the door slamming shut behind her, Kara stared at her former lover in disbelief.

At first, the brunette opened her mouth to speak, but found herself at a loss for words.

"W-What's… What's bringing you here? Is… Is everything okay?" Kara asked, careful not to sound ungrateful for the visit and trying to ignore the intense, painful ache of her heart.

"No… Not exactly."

Kara's lips parted, almost expelling words, but closed again immediately when the hero found herself incapable of making sound.

"Alex told me why you're here," Lena said simply.

Confused as to how that was any kind of an explanation but furious at her sister's choice to break her confidence, Kara gaped, "What? She told you?!"

"Relax," Lena scolded her firmly. "Sit."

It was then that Kara realized that her hands were tightly clenching the back of the chair in front of her. Releasing her iron grip, which had slightly cracked the wood, the hero sat down slowly and took several deep, steadying breaths.

When she'd gathered her composure enough to speak, she asked again, "I still don't understand. What does that matter anyway?"

Looking shocked and even offended, the brunette firmly asserted, "I don't want you _dead_ , Kara."

Feeling her stomach turn – this was a significant relief, as she'd previously been pretty sure that Lena would have been thrilled to watch her suffer at this point – Kara finally looked up enough to gaze into her former partner's eyes. She found pain there, and even compassion. Something she'd never even imagined seeing again, at least not from Lena.

"You don't?" Kara asked, struggling to believe what she'd heard.

"Of course not!" Lena snapped. "Are you serious? You think I want you _dead?_ "

"I don't know," Kara mumbled. "I thought—"

"I'm angry with you, yes. But I don't want you hurt. Not ever."

Feeling her heart swell with hope she wanted to shove down but could not ignore, the hero asked weakly, "Why are you here, though?"

"I needed to see for myself that you were okay."

"Why? You talked to me on the phone. I'm in a hospital. I'm safe."

"Why do you want to die?" Lena asked suddenly, ignoring the question she'd been asked.

Kara sighed, dropping her gaze, and replied, "Because I was a terrible fiancé and I'm a terrible mother."

"Kara…" Lena said slowly, reaching for words she couldn't find and didn't feel brave enough to say anyway.

"Yeah?" the hero asked, looking up.

"I don't hate you," the brunette confessed, biting her lip. "I just… can't… be with you. You broke me."

Wanting to explain and dying to beg for forgiveness, Kara had to shove down every emotion that was threatening to escape in favor of nodding her head and saying softly, "I know. I really am sorry, and I know that's not enough."

Taking a deep breath to gather her courage, Lena asked, "Do you know what all this made me realize?"

Shaking her head slowly, Kara waited for an answer.

"I've realized that words mean absolutely nothing. The best apology is a change in behavior."

Somewhat confused as to where Lena was going with this, the hero simply nodded again and said, "Fair enough."

As Kara refrained from meeting Lena's gaze, the brunette's eyes pierced her deeply. As soon as Kara realized that this was happening, her reflex was to look up.

"I also realized that I rejected your verbal apology without providing you an opportunity to produce a meaningful one."

The Kryptonian's heart skipped a beat.

"W-What can I do?"

"You can get your shit together, get the fuck out of this place, and prove to me that you can regain my trust."

"But you said… You said you can't be with me."

"I'm not with you. But I will stay in your life, for Alura's sake, if you can show me that you've learned to be honest."

"I will! I will!" Kara cried, nearly leaping from her seat as she rounded the table and fell to her knees in front of Lena with her hands clasped. "Lena, I will do _anything_ to win your heart back."

" _Earn,_ " Lena asserted. "You will attempt to _earn_ my heart back. You can't win it. It isn't a game."

Nodding rapidly, Kara stared up at her former lover with wide, hopeful, repentant eyes.

"Get better, Kara," Lena whispered. "Take care of yourself. Alura needs you."

Again, Kara nodded vigorously in agreement.

When the brunette put her hand on the hero's shoulder, she shivered. The reality-crushing sensation of Lena's touch, which she'd resigned herself to believing was gone forever, made Kara's entire body clench. She wanted nothing more than to hug Lena and kiss her lips again, but she knew this was far from an option, so she rigidly rose to her feet and waited for the woman's next words.

"Don't hurt yourself," Lena said, her voice suddenly gentle and soft.

More nodding.

"Promise me, Kara."

"I promise," the hero said quickly. "I'll get better. I'll be okay. I'll fix this."

"I really hope so," Lena sighed. "Because I hate this feeling. I hate not trusting you. And honestly, Kara… I miss what we had."

"You… You do?" Kara asked in disbelief, looking as shocked as she felt.

It was Lena's turn to nod as she replied, "Yes. Very much. I always felt safe with you. I want that again."

Kara couldn't help but smile at this, and Lena couldn't help but feel her heart warming at the sight.

"Be safe, Kara," the brunette ordered her. "Your family needs you."

"I will. I promise."

When Lena rose from her seat, noticing that their time to visit was coming to an end, her hand (unintentionally?) brushed Kara's, making them both tense as a wave of heat passed between them.

"Hey… Lena…" Kara said softly, watching as the woman walked around her towards the door.

"Yeah?" she replied, looking over her shoulder.

"I love you."

Lena's reply was simply, "I know."

~!~!~

Kara spent the next two days intensely focused on her own recovery. She journaled during all of her free time and participated fully in groups as well as individual therapy (although the therapists were nowhere near as effective with her as her own). By the end of the second day, the thoughts of death and failure that had plagued her were gone, and she felt she'd fully processed her emotions around the situation. It also helped that her sense of hope had been boosted significantly by the surprise visit from Lena.

So, the doctors discharged her the third morning with a 30 day prescription of her current medications, which she knew she would not be continuing, and sent her on her way.

As soon as Kara got home, she found Alex and Alura waiting for her.

"Hey!" Alex cried, throwing her arms around her sister. "How are you feeling?"

But before Kara could answer, looking around the room for signs of her daughter, Alura was at her side, squeezing her tightly around her middle. Instantly, the hero broke down, shrunk to her knees, and sobbed.

"Mom?" Alura asked, quickly reaching a state of panic, as she'd never seen her mother like this before.

"I'm okay," Kara managed, through gasping breaths. "I just missed you so much."

Saying nothing, Alura put her head on her mother's shoulder and held on tightly. Alex knelt down beside her sister and her niece, holding them both.

"I'm so glad you're safe," Alex whispered, kissing her sister's cheek. "I love you."

"Love you too," Kara said quickly, rubbing the tears from her eyes as she began to regain her composure.

"I…" Alura started shyly, straightening up but dropping her gaze. "I love you too, Mom… and I'm sorry I did all this."

"Oh, baby girl, no," Kara hushed her. "You didn't do this. I promise you that. Mom just needed some time away from work and life for a little bit to recharge her batteries. Alright?"

Alura nodded but was skeptical, still somewhat blaming herself for her mother's feelings, although she didn't know the extent of them.

"I love you," Kara said firmly, kissing the top of her daughter's head. "I love you more than anything."

After spending some time on the couch together, gratefully enjoying each other's company, Kara sent Alura to bed.

"Lena visited me in the hospital," Kara told her sister, as soon as they were alone.

"What? Really?"

"Yeah. She told me she doesn't want me dead and made me promise not to hurt myself."

"Good," Alex said sharply. "I need you around, kid."

Hugging Alex tightly, Kara rested her head on her sister's shoulder and said, "I know. I'll be okay. I feel mostly better."

"Mostly?"

Lifting her head, Kara looked into her sister's eyes and replied, "I'm not going to hurt myself, Alex. I promise."

Letting out a sigh of relief, Alex said, "Okay. Good. I just worry."

"Yeah, I get that. I worry about you too."

Alex smiled, pulling her sister back into the hug, and Kara found herself flooded with overwhelming feelings of gratitude.

 _This is it,_ she thought. _Family. All I'll ever need._

Then, after a mental pause, Kara's thoughts whispered, _Except Lena._


	29. Chapter 29

To Kara's surprise, she was woken at two in the morning the next night by a text from Lena.

' _ **I can't sleep.'**_

Knowing the sensation all too well and feeling an intense burst of empathy for Lena, Kara considered her response carefully. Part of her wanted to say, 'Come over,' but she also knew that this would be a bit forward, and even if they were just sitting on her couch, it would likely be too intimate of a gesture for Lena at this stage.

So instead, she decided on:

' _ **You okay?'**_

' _ **Nightmares.'**_

Kara remembered all the times she'd held Lena when she'd woken from nightmares. She remembered the way Lena had begged for a distraction to dry her tears, and Kara had given it to her, in the form of kisses and lovemaking. But her whole world was different now. Everything had changed. So she changed her tactic.

' _ **Do you want to go for a walk in the park?'**_

It took a while for the response to come, which made the hero's heart race faster and faster the longer it took for the next message to send. Maybe it had been too much. Maybe—

But Lena replied just before Kara could drive herself crazy with worry.

' _ **Yeah. That's a good idea.'**_

' _ **I'll pick you up if that's alright. It's not safe to walk alone at night.'**_

' _ **Yeah, you're probably right. See you soon.'**_

Of course, that's when the panic set in as reality caught up to Kara. She was about to see Lena again for the first time outside of the psych ward.

 _What the heck do I wear?_ she wondered, desperately flipping through her closet. When she finally made a decision, she scrambled to the bathroom to brush her teeth. Luckily, Alex had spent the night, not wanting her to be alone, so it was safe for Kara to leave. She texted Alex to let her know the plan, knowing her sister's phone was on silent, and slipped quietly out of the apartment. She could have used superspeed or flight to reach Lena faster but decided against it, not feeling much of an urge to be 'super.'

Kara knocked lightly on Lena's door at first, but when she received no reply, she knocked harder – almost as hard as her heart was thumping.

"Hey," Lena said softly, upon opening the door.

Her eyes were red from crying, though the rest of her appeared – as always – well put together.

The hesitation Lena displayed made Kara tilt her head in confusion. The sadness in the woman's eyes made Kara's heart clench, feeling her pain. If things were different, Kara would have offered her a hug. Would've pulled her into her arms and held her there, letting her cry it out. But she knew this wasn't an option, so she took a step backwards, silently inviting Lena to join her outside.

Lena obliged and fell in step with Kara as they walked down the silent sidewalk towards the park.

Once they were there, the hero turned to Lena and asked, "Do you want to talk about it?"

At first, Lena shook her head vigorously.

Then, after three or four more steps and several more tears falling from her eyes, she blurted, "You died."

Stopping in her tracks, Kara stared. She still couldn't believe that after all the venom and all the adamant refusal to speak to her that Lena didn't want her dead.

"Don't look at me like that!" Lena cried, scowling. "I'm not broken!"

"That's not what I was thinking at all."

Biting her lip at first, Lena asked, "Then what were you thinking?"

"That I'm still surprised you care."

"Oh."

"Come on. Let's find a bench."

Lena nodded, following Kara until they found a suitable bench and sat down beside each other, leaving an appropriate amount of space between them. Without speaking, Lena began to cry harder, tears falling onto her clenched hands, which were resting on her lap.

"Lena…" Kara whispered. "It's gonna be okay. I'm not dead."

Wanting to speak but choking on the words, Lena nodded weakly, her tears not slowing.

After a while of silence, where Kara had to fight every instinct to stay quiet, Lena put her hand down, without looking, accidentally resting it briefly on top of Kara's before jerking it away abruptly.

"S-Sorry," Kara blurted, lifting her hand as well, even though she hadn't been the one to make the contact.

"Wait," Lena sniffled, looking up with wet, sad eyes. " _I'm_ sorry."

"Why are _you_ sorry?" Kara asked suddenly, jerking her head up as she realized what Lena had actually said.

"B-Because… I… I gave up," the brunette choked out.

"Huh?"

"On you. On us. I gave up. I didn't give you a chance. You did wrong by me. You betrayed me. But everyone deserves a second chance. And not only that… I abandoned our little girl. And there's no greater crime than that."

' _Our little girl,'_ Kara replayed in her head.

They were a family. Did this mean Lena still saw them that way?

"She adores you," the hero said simply. "She loves you more than she loves me. By a lot."

"That's ridiculous," Lena sniffled, wiping her tears.

"It's not, though. All of her behavior is because she hates me for causing you to leave."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. If I was a better mother, this wouldn't be—"

"Hey! You're not a bad mother," Lena stopped her. "Stop saying that."

Biting her lip, Kara looked into Lena's eyes, wanting to kiss her more than ever.

"You're wearing my favorite shirt," Lena said suddenly, giving Kara an involuntary once-over.

Feeling her cheeks grow hot and knowing they were rapidly turning red, Kara dropped her gaze, nodding weakly.

"Why?" Lena pressed.

"Because you like it," Kara said simply.

"Oh." After an exceptionally awkward pause, the brunette asked, "Does Alura know we've been talking?"

"No…"

"Fair enough, I suppose."

"I don't want her to think we're… you know."

"What?"

"Getting back together…"

"Oh. Yeah. Right. I wouldn't want to get her hopes up…" When Kara nodded again, Lena continued, "I really fucked up."

"Huh?" the hero asked, looking rather dumbfounded.

"You should be angry with me."

"What? Why?"

"Because I didn't just leave you. I left our daughter."

Biting her lip, Kara looked into Lena's eyes and found pain there.

"Lena…"

"No. Don't tell me it's fine. Don't. It's not fine. What you did to me wasn't fine either. But it had nothing to do with her, and now she thinks I don't love her. Which you _know_ isn't true."

"Of course. I know you love her."

"But that's the thing. She doesn't. I messed up so bad, Kar…"

Kara blinked, trying to clear her head and be sure of what she'd heard. Lena was using her nickname.

"It's—" she started, but cut herself off when she realized what she was about to say. Instead, she decided on, "I understand why you did it. I can't say I would've done the same, but I do get it. I fucked up. It makes sense that you'd want nothing to do with me."

"But that wasn't about her, and I made it about her, without intending to. I was careless. I let her down."

"Do you want to talk to her?"

Thinking this through and realizing she didn't have much of an answer, Lena replied, "I'm not sure. I mean, yes, I want to. I'm just not sure it's a good idea. What do you think is best for Alura?"

"I don't know, honestly. I don't know anything anymore. I just know she'd be thrilled to hear from you again. She misses you so much."

"I miss her too," Lena sighed.

 _I miss you too,_ Kara wanted to say, but she bit her tongue.

But just when she thought she could swallow the words, the brunette asked, "What are you thinking?"

Not wanting to ruin the moment that seemed to be going well, Kara shook her head.

"Tell me," Lena pressed.

"It doesn't matter. Anyway, you should probably sleep. It's getting—"

"Tell me."

Sighing, Kara looked up with sadness in her eyes and confessed, "I miss you too."

Feeling a knot form in her throat, the teacher gave a slow nod of understanding and – maybe agreement?

The Kryptonian couldn't help but feel hope swell in her chest. Did Lena feel the same?

"I don't want to say it," the woman told the hero.

"Say what?"

"That I miss you."

"You don't have to."

Sucking in a steadying breath, Lena said, "But I do."

Lifting her gaze, Kara asked, "You do?"

"Yes."

"I'm… I'm glad. And surprised. But glad."

Unable to stifle the subtle smile that tugged at her lips, Lena looked into Kara's eyes and searched as deep as she could for the rest of the hero's silenced thoughts.

Then, suddenly, she said, "You want to kiss me."

Kara bit her lip, saying nothing.

"You do, don't you?" Lena asked.

With a nod, Kara mumbled, "I'm sorry."

"No, wait…"

Tilting her head in confusion, the blonde waited for an explanation.

"I want that too," the other woman confessed. Just when Kara's eyes lit up with hope, Lena added, "But… I think we should take things slow. For Alura's sake."

Swallowing the lump in her throat and choking back the rush of tears that threatened to bubble over, Kara nodded, saying, "Right."

"Can I hold your hand, though?"

A small smile forming, the hero took the hand of the woman that so tightly held her heart and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"That feels good," Lena told her. "It's been too long."

"Agreed."

"This doesn't mean… This doesn't mean we're back together," the brunette clarified.

"What does it mean?" Kara asked gently, careful not to use a pressuring tone.

"It just means… It means… It means I want that. It means we're going to work towards it and see where things go."

"Alright."

"I don't want to come into Alura's life just to have to leave again."

After a thoughtful pause, the hero offered, "Maybe you could take her on the weekend."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean… You're her mom too. If you wanted, you could have her on the weekends. Sort of a… you know… shared custody thing? So that even if we split, she's not caught in the middle or left feeling unloved?" When Lena offered no response, Kara quickly added, "No pressure… Just an idea."

"I like that idea. But let's see what she thinks."

"Do you want to come over for dinner tomorrow night to talk to her about it?"

Smiling, Lena answered, "Sure. That would be nice. I miss her."

"We both miss you. Very much."

"I'm glad you didn't forget about me. Or get over me."

"I could _never,_ " Kara assured her, squeezing her hand again. "You mean everything to me."

"You do too."

Blushing, Kara suggested, "Let's get you home, okay? It's late, and you need sleep."

"Okay."

The two walked hand-in-hand back to Lena's apartment, with their hearts racing the whole way.

When she saw Lena hesitate at the door, Kara looked down at their hands, then back up into her eyes and said softly, "Goodnight, Lena."

"Goodnight, Kara."


	30. Chapter 30

The next night, when Lena arrived for dinner, it was a complete surprise to Alura, who screamed the woman's name at the top of her lungs as soon as she saw her.

"LENA!"

Throwing her arms around her second mother, Alura squeezed tightly. Lena returned the hug, but when she made a gentle move to step back, the girl squeezed tighter.

"Not done," she whimpered. "I missed you."

After a few more long moments, with Kara and Alex both watching, Lena gently but firmly held Alura away from her and looked into her eyes.

"Alura," she started, tone serious. "I need you to listen to me, okay?"

The young blonde nodded, never unlocking her gaze from Lena's.

"I am so, so, _so_ sorry for what I put you through," the teacher said, her voice full of sincerity.

"What Mom put me through," Alura said, her brows furrowing into a scowl.

"No," Lena retorted sharply. "What _I_ put you through."

"I don't understand. Mom was the one who—"

"No, Alura. I was the one who pulled away. I was the one who left and abandoned you. I was the one who neglected my responsibilities as your parent. I let you down. I hurt you. And I promise you – I _promise_ you – that will never, _ever_ happen again. Do you understand?"

Again, Alura nodded, throwing herself back into Lena's arms. Her adoptive mother held her tightly, returning the embrace.

"I love you," Lena whispered, stroking the girl's hair, upon seeing that she had started to cry.

"Love you too, Ma."

At this point, Kara had started to cry too, and Alex was getting choked up as well. More than anything, they all wanted their family back. Still, they all knew it couldn't be repaired overnight, despite their deepest wishes.

"Mama, don't leave," Alura sobbed. "Don't leave."

Then, it was Lena's turn to cry, deeply moved by her daughter's words.

"I love you, Alura. I won't leave you again, but I can't stay here with you and your mom, okay?"

"But why?"

"Honey, please just trust me. Trust me."

Shaking her head defiantly, Alura pulled away, howling, "You don't want me."

"Baby girl, you know that's not true!" Lena cried. "Listen to me right now. I love you more than life, little one. Your sassy butt is my favorite in the universe. But I have to do right by you, even if you don't see it that way. So just trust me on this, please. Just this once."

Sighing heavily, Alura mumbled, "Okay."

"Now," Lena said, stepping back. "Let's go get the wonderful dinner your mom and Auntie made."

Saying nothing else, Alura followed the adults into the dining room, where she was served her dinner, then surrounded by her family. After they each took a few silent bites, Kara spoke up.

"Alura," she said softly. "There's something Lena and I want to talk to you about."

"Are you getting back together?!" the girl blurted immediately, bouncing in her seat.

Biting her lip, Kara glanced at Lena, then back to her daughter before answering, "No, baby. But…"

When Kara hesitated, thinking of how to phrase the question, Lena jumped in, finishing, "We had something we wanted to ask you."

"Okay…" Alura said slowly, drawing out the word to emphasize her confusion.

"You know we aren't together anymore, right?" Lena asked gently. When the girl nodded, she continued, "Well, your mother and I discussed it, and we wanted to know what you thought about coming home with me after school on Friday and staying through Sunday, every other weekend."

"Staying with you?"

"Mhmm."

"Yeah!" Alura cried enthusiastically. "But why every _other_ weekend?"

Looking to Kara for a response, the brunette waited for the hero to reply.

"Well…" she answered. "Do you want to go every weekend?"

Firmly, Alura replied, "Definitely." Then, when the adults said nothing and simply looked at each other, the girl asked, "Can I?"

"If that's what you want, then yes," Kara told her.

"But you have to behave and do well in school, okay?" Lena pressed.

Of course, she knew she wouldn't take away Alura's time with her just because the girl got in trouble. Parents didn't do that. But she hoped the hint would provide Alura with some incentive to stay out of trouble.

"I will! I will, I will!" Alura shouted. "I'll be good!"

The adults at the table smiled, and Alex, who had been quiet for most of the evening, cut in, saying, "We're proud of you, champ. We love you very much."

Kara and Lena nodded, and Alura smiled back at them, satisfied with the solution that had been provided.

After dinner, Alura sat between her mothers on the couch, and Alex got comfortable in the recliner as the four put on a Disney movie.

"Why in the world is she carrying around a random frying pan as a weapon?" Alex asked playfully, watching as the film's princess, Rapunzel, hit the man on screen with said frying pan.

"'Cause he's a creepy stranger, for all she knows," Alura laughed. "Duh."

"At least we know this kid knows to stay away from strangers," Alex commented, smirking at her sister.

Lena laughed and kissed the top of Alura's head.

When the film was finished and Alura had been tucked into bed, Kara and Lena remained on opposite sides of the couch, and Alex found herself nearly falling asleep in the recliner.

"Why the hell do you have the put the freaking _news_ on?" Alex groaned. "Don't we both get enough of that at work?"

Rolling her eyes, Kara kept looking at the television screen, watching the nightly report, which was delivered by an incredibly monotone voice that was almost – _almost_ – putting Lena to sleep too.

"I like to know what's going on in the world, Alex. I don't want to live under a rock."

"Hey! I don't—" Alex started to exclaim but was interrupted by a sound coming from Lena.

"Shh!" Lena hissed, pointing at the TV, where four heavily armed helicopters were firing towards the top of one of National City's tallest buildings in the business district.

Kara felt her mouth grow dry at the sight. Had Lena not been there, she would have wasted no time changing into her supersuit and heading off to save the day. But the pit of her stomach was sinking at the thought of being Supergirl again, feeling as though it was full of rocks. She hadn't donned the suit since the two had broken up.

When she turned her head hesitantly to look at her sister, Alex was taring at her, waiting for her response with bated breath. When she shifted her glance to look over at Lena, the woman's eyes met hers in a locked, stoic gaze.

Sucking in a deep, steadying breath, Lena asserted, "Go, Supergirl. You have to."

Jaw dropping suddenly, Kara stared, dumbfounded, at her former partner. It was the first time she'd heard Lena say her alter-ego's name with any kind of gentleness.

"But I—" she tried, still incredibly uncertain of her next move and feeling torn by her own emotions.

"Go, Kara. Go!" Lena cried, shoving the woman off the couch after glancing once more at the television to see the top levels of the building erupt in flames.

"Keep them safe," Kara said firmly, looking sternly at her sister as she tore open her dress shirt, confidence building.

" _You_ be safe," Alex retorted. "I'll look after the girls."

With one firm nod, Kara was out the door.

The two remaining women sat in silence briefly, looking at each other and attempting to read one another's faces. Alex decided not to speak first, wanting to give Lena time to process what was happening.

Instead of feeling anger, or the usual conflicting emotions about Kara's identity, Lena found herself thinking aloud only, "How do you sit here and wait not knowing if she's okay?"

Alex couldn't help but let her lip curl in a slight smile as she replied, "Because I trust her. I always worry. _Always_. But I trust her to do the right thing. For herself, for us, and for National City."

Lena nodded her understanding and paused before asking, "What if she gets hurt?"

Suddenly looking solemn and serious, Alex sighed, "That's a risk she's chosen to take."

"But what about the family? How can she—"

"How can _you_ tell her to go, if you don't think it's the right thing?"

"I _do_ think it's the right thing, but I also—"

"That's how. She goes because it's the right thing to do. She goes because she's a hero, Lena. And there's something else you should know."

Swallowing hard at the prospect of more secrets being revealed, Lena replied, "Okay."

"If she felt that I or Alura or you were in danger, she wouldn't have gone. She would have stayed to protect her family. That woman has never, ever put us in danger, and she never would."

"I can't believe that the whole time we were together, she never told me."

"I know," Alex sighed. "I get it, but at the same time, I don't. The thing is, I know she trusts you. That's not the problem. I think it's that she doesn't trust herself."

"What do you mean?"

"Maybe I should leave this conversation between you and Kara…"

"Alex, no. You have to tell me."

"You should really—"

"Alex, _please._ "

"She's been going to therapy, and she's really been working on herself. All I can really say is that I _know_ she trusts you, and that that was never the problem. The problem had to do with the fact that she was scared, for more reasons than either of us really knows. It wasn't as simple as, 'They could get hurt.' Kara's been through… well… a lot. And it affects her decision-making today."

"Like what?" Lena asked, tilting her head with curiosity.

"That's not my stuff to tell you, Lena. You need to ask Kara about that."

"Are we… Are we talking… trauma?"

Hesitantly, Alex replied, "Yeah, Lena. A lot of trauma."

Wanting to ask more but knowing that Alex had likely told her more than Kara would have been comfortable with already, Lena said a quiet, "Thank you," before going silent.

"She loves you," Alex offered gently. "I'm not saying that to get any kind of response. Just saying it so you know. I would never, ever lie to you, Lena. And I know my sister. She would do anything for you. She fucked up, yeah, but she would _never_ hurt you on purpose. You're family." When Lena just looked at her, saying nothing, she added, "You're the love of her life, Lena."

Sighing, Lena confessed, "She's mine too."

The two turned their attention back to the television, neither quite knowing what else there was to say. Impatiently, the two watched the images on the screen as more flames spread through the building. Then, just as they were both about to wonder aloud where Supergirl was in all this, the camera zoomed in to show the hero quite literally dragging the first helicopter – the one closest to the building – to the ground, where the National Guard was waiting to take down the assailants. After taking down a second chopper, an Air Force jet took down the third. The fourth, seeing that the outlook was bleak, turned in the air and made to retreat, but Supergirl was back in the air in a flash, tearing it out of the sky.

Alex and Lena let out a unified sigh of relief as the camera showed police and military taking the assailants into custody and Supergirl landing safely beside them.

"Damn," Lena breathed, unable to tear her eyes away. "She's… She's incredible."

Allowing herself to smile, Alex agreed, "Yeah, she really is."

Not long after this, Kara stepped through the front door, once again in her dress shirt, looking pristine. She hadn't even broken a sweat.

As soon as she heard the door open, Lena was on her feet.

"You're safe," Lena blurted, letting out a final heavy sigh of relief, her body propelling her forward into Kara's arms.

At first, when Lena embraced her, Kara stiffened, unsure of how to respond, but when Lena didn't let go, her muscles relaxed, and her arms slid around the woman's torso in return. Eyes falling shut as she held a shaking Lena, the Kryptonian felt her heart race.

"I was so scared," Lena told her, unable to silence her verbal expression of emotion, despite her will to do so.

"It's okay," the hero whispered. "I'm okay. You're okay."

"I can't lose you."

Eyes going slightly wide with surprise, Kara tried to steady her breathing as she replied, "You won't. Not ever."

Although Alex felt the same impulse to embrace her sister out of relief, she simply leaned against the wall and smiled at the two, watching the burst of healing that was taking place between them.


	31. Chapter 31

"Hi, sweetheart!" Lena exclaimed, throwing her arms around Alura when the student met her outside of the school Friday afternoon.

"Do I still get to go home with you?" the girl asked apprehensively, obviously concerned that Lena may have changed her mind.

"Of course, honey! We're gonna do some homework tonight, and then we're gonna have a fantastic weekend, okay? Sound good?"

Alura nodded and smiled brightly, finally returning the embrace.

"I love you, Ma."

"I love you too, cupcake. Now, let's go home."

Nodding, Alura took Lena's hand – not caring if her friends saw her holding hands with her chosen family member – and walked side-by-side with the woman to her apartment. When they arrived, Lena grabbed Alura's backpack and opened the door, allowing the girl to run inside excitedly.

"Wanna play video games?!" Alura cried with enthusiasm, bouncing on her heels in front of the television in the living room.

"Absolutely!" Lena said with a beaming smile. Then, expression suddenly serious, she added, "After homework."

"Awwww, Ma! Why?"

"Because you promised me, Alex, _and_ your mother that you would behave if we followed through with this plan."

With a soft sigh – one that was reasonable and unexaggerated – Alura nodded her head in agreement and made her way over to the island bar in Lena's kitchen. Lena joined her, sitting on the closest stool to Alura's, and set the backpack on the table. The girl pulled out her homework, set it in front of her, and opened her first book.

"Okay, what's this about?" Lena asked, gesturing to the book.

"Basic math."

"You're good at math."

"I guess so."

"Finish this assignment, and then we'll have dinner, okay?"

Again, Alura nodded, started in on her work, and stayed quiet for a while. Eventually, she had to ask Lena a few questions for help, but in the meantime, Lena sat, watching quietly as Alura diligently completed each problem she was able to manage independently.

Once the girl's homework was fully complete and Alura was fed, the two sat down on the couch to put on a cartoon to wind down before bed, both too tired to play video games. It wasn't long into the show before Alura broke the comfortable silence between them.

"Ma?"

Turning her head to face her daughter, Lena asked, "Hmm?"

"You're not gonna leave again, are you?"

Biting her lip, the adult took Alura's hand and shook her head, saying, "Not ever, Alura. I did a really, really selfish thing by not talking to you. What went on between your mother and I had nothing to do with you, but you unintentionally got put in the middle. That never should have happened. I will never, _ever_ allow anything to come between us again. No matter what happens between your mother and I, I will love you with my very last breath, okay? Do you understand?"

Alura looked into Lena's eyes and slowly nodded her head, though she was having difficulty trusting her mother's words after everything that had happened.

Sensing Alura's discomfort, Lena added, "I promise you, Alura. You're my little peanut butter pie. My sunshine. The joy in my life. I won't let that go again. I did a really bad thing, but I swear to you that it will not happen again."

"Okay," the girl said, after a short pause. "I love you."

"Love you too, little one."

Resuming their casual, cuddling embrace, the two returned their attention to the show, until Alura fell asleep leaning on Lena. After tucking her in, Lena got ready for bed as well, leaving her bedroom door cracked in case Alura needed anything in the night.

~!~!~

The weekend continued without incident, and while Alura was back in school the following Monday, Supergirl was grateful to attend her first therapy session since her hospital discharge.

"How are you feeling?" the therapist asked.

Supergirl could hear the woman's quickening heartbeat, and her brows furrowed upon realizing her therapist's obvious concern… and even signs of some mild anxiety.

"I'm okay," Supergirl told her, offering a small smile. "I feel better than before I went in the hospital, that's for sure."

"I'm really glad that you're okay. I'm also very proud of you for making the decision to check yourself in when you needed the extra support."

Nodding, the Kryptonian replied, "It was a tough decision, but I also scared the shit out of myself when I started thinking about Kryptonite, you know? Like, I've never wanted to die before. Ever. And I don't think I wanted to die then, either. But the thoughts were definitely there, and they terrified me. I knew I couldn't be alone, and I knew I needed more help than just a family member. I know Alex loves me, but I needed a safe, sterile, closed in environment to recharge and clear my head."

"So it was helpful?" the therapist clarified.

"Definitely. But I have so much more to tell you than the hospitalization."

"Oh? Do tell."

"I called my ex."

It took every ounce of self-control in the therapist not to widen her eyes with surprise. This was virtually the last thing she'd expected the hero to say.

"How did it go?" she asked, after maintaining a brief silence to allow her client the opportunity to continue sharing.

"It went well. I didn't call for me, though. My daughter was out of control. She got expelled and ended up staying with my sister…"

"Oh, gosh. I'm so sorry to hear that she's not doing well."

"Yeah, she's been a huge handful, and I was losing my cool. But I called my ex for help around the expulsion, because I honestly just didn't know what to do."

"You knew you could trust her," the therapist inferred. "Was she helpful?"

Supergirl nodded and continued, "She called the school to vouch for my daughter, and they accepted her back. Anyway, then my ex came to see me. She wanted to tell me not to hurt myself and to get better soon. She even apologized for not giving me a chance to make things right."

"That's pretty significant, I'd say. Obviously, she cares about you still."

"I guess she does…" Supergirl mused softly, gazing off at nothingness on the wall behind her therapist.

"Are you still with me?"

"Hmm?" the hero asked, then turned her attention back to the present. "Sorry. Yes."

"Where did you go, just now?"

"Just looking into her eyes that day, I guess," Supergirl sighed. "She was in pain when she saw me in the hospital. She was genuinely worried about me. Honestly, that felt good."

"It felt good to see her worried?"

"Well, when you say it like that, it sounds douchey," the Kryptonian said, forcing herself to laugh.

"It's okay to say that you want people to care about you. I'm very sure it's not that you want her to feel bad, and I understand that what's really going on is just a desire to know she cares deeply for you."

Nodding, Supergirl finished, "Then, she texted me when I was out saying she had a nightmare. It was so weird that she reached out to me, but I guess she honestly wanted to talk. So we took a late-night walk in the park. We talked things out, and it felt really good. And she even offered to take the kiddo on the weekends, which we started on Friday. Apparently, it went really well. I'm picking my daughter up to bring her home after school when we're done here. But anyway… it was weird, because… because…"

After a long pause, allowing Supergirl to sit in the silence, the therapist gently offered, "Keep going. Dig this up. What made it weird for you?"

"It was weird to feel like she was a part of the family again. And honestly, even if we're not together, I'm glad my daughter is happy. I guess I'm realizing it was shitty of her to bail on my kid. And I also realized I have no idea what I'm doing as a parent."

"Well, I'm not sure that's true," the therapist told her. "I think you're a wonderful, thoughtful, deeply caring parent. I just think you didn't have the skills or knowledge to manage her on your own at the time. And honestly, most parents don't. You can't just magically be a perfect parent. It's a learning process, and it usually takes support, whether that's from family members or a partner. It's natural to get overwhelmed as a single parent, Superhero or not."

Blinking, Supergirl stared at her therapist, processing her words.

"So… I'm not a terrible parent, just because I don't always know what to do?"

Chuckling warmly, the therapist told her, "Of course not. You're a wonderful parent. And having those supports is great! I am quite proud of you for reaching out for that help, even though I imagine it was difficult to put your neck out and risk rejection from your ex. One of the hardest things anyone can ever do is to ask for help."

"It was terrifying," Supergirl laughed. "Absolutely terrifying."

" _And_ it paid off."

Smiling brightly, the hero nodded, saying, "It sure did. And I think we're… I think we're gonna be okay. Even if we end up just friends."

"Is that what you want? Just friends?"

"Of course not. I'm in love with her. I'd give anything to have her back. But either way, we need to take it slow for the kid."

"Absolutely. That's a smart decision. Take your time. You are where you need to be; just take a deep breath."

Supergirl did exactly this, inhaling slowly as her eyes fell comfortably closed for a brief moment.

"Thank you."

"Absolutely, but you're the one doing the hard work! Same time next week? Call me if you need me sooner, though. If you ever need an emergency session, that is an option."

"No, really. Thank you so much. You've been the best therapist I ever could have asked for. This has been far more helpful than anticipated."

"I'm _very_ glad to hear that. Take care, Supergirl. See you next week."

"Yes, ma'am."

~!~!~

"Mom?" Alura asked, once she was home with Kara.

"Yeah, honey?" Kara answered, sitting down on the couch and patting the seat beside her as a gesture for Alura to join her.

Hesitantly, Alura sat down beside her mother, shyly looking up at her, and questioned, "How come you're in therapy?"

"What do you mean, sweetheart?"

"Are you sick?"

Kara blinked, staring at her daughter in disbelief.

"I suppose you could say I am, in a way. But that's another story. And sweetie… You don't have to be sick to go to therapy."

"You don't? Then what's it for?"

"It's just good to have an unbiased second set of eyes on your situations. When we're in the middle of something, it's very hard to see it objectively."

"Objectively?"

"Without judgment or bias. Without rose colored glasses."

"Oh."

"In other words… It's good to have someone who is outside of what's going on to look at how things are going and share their opinions, to potentially help you see things you can't see for yourself."

"Ohhh."

"They're also very useful for helping process emotions."

"What do you mean?"

"Feelings are complicated, right?"

"Mhmm," the Kryptonian's daughter agreed, nodding firmly.

"So sometimes it's hard to figure them out on your own. Sometimes it's good to have someone help you navigate how you're feeling so you can see things more clearly and start to feel better about whatever is bothering you."

After a thoughtful pause, Alura asked, "What's bothering you?" Kara opened her mouth to speak, but found herself unsure of what to say, so her daughter pressed, "Is it me?"

Eyes wide, Kara answered carefully, "Sweetheart… I worry about you. I worry about whether I'm making the right choices by you. I worry about being a good mom. What bothers me is my own mistakes, honey. Everyone makes them, but I'm worried that mine are worse than others."

Alura blinked several times, trying to process her mother's explanation, before suggesting, "You feel bad about what happened with Ma."

Kara bit her lip, questioning her own response, before slowly nodding her head and saying, "Yeah, sweetheart. I really do."

"What actually happened?"

"Alura…"

"You have to tell me eventually. It can't be _that_ bad."

Kara thought this through, considering her daughter's poignant words, then answered, "It is that bad. You know how I always tell you that honesty is the best policy? And that it's not okay to lie or keep things from people you love?"

"Uh-huh," Alura answered quickly.

"I kept my identity a secret from Lena for the entire time we were together. I asked her to marry me before she knew. The day we went to the jewelers to look for rings, there was a robbery, and I couldn't let anyone get hurt, so I had to change into my super suit. She saw, and that was the end of it."

"But why was that the end? Why didn't you just say sorry and talk it out?"

Again, Kara's eyes widened in surprise at her daughter's sudden display of maturity, which was in stark contrast to her recent behavior.

"I did say sorry, baby."

"But then… Why did you guys break up?"

" _We_ didn't."

"I don't get it."

Sighing, Kara hung her head in her hands, mumbling, "I don't want to change how you feel about Lena."

"Just tell me the truth! Don't I deserve the truth? Aren't you tired of keeping things from people you love?"

"Rao, Alura," the Kryptonian gasped, lifting her head. "When did you get so smart?"

Shrugging, Alura pressed, "Just answer. Please, Mom. Please."

"I apologized _profusely._ Lena found that apology unacceptable. She felt – still feels – that my apology was not enough to correct, make up for, or heal the mistake I made."

"But… But you didn't mean to hurt her."

"No, Alura. I didn't. You're absolutely right."

Suddenly, Alura looked angry as she blurted, "But doesn't Lena know that?! Why won't she forgive you?!"

"Sweetie… It's her choice whether or not to accept my apology, and—"

"She said she loves us! She said she loves _you!_ "

"I know, baby. I know. But sometimes people do things that are so bad that the trust gets broken, and people can't have a healthy relationship without trust. That's why I tell you not to lie or keep things from people you care about."

"But you said if anyone found out you were Supergirl, we could all be in danger!"

"And that's true. That's part of why I didn't tell her."

"So why would she get so angry? Doesn't she understand that?!"

"I think Lena just needs some time to heal. I don't know if we'll get back together, hun – honestly, I hope we do – but I know that Lena needs space to be able to forgive me, if she ever does. And what I know even more than that is that she _absolutely_ does love you to pieces."

"But—"

"Try not to be too angry with her, okay?"

After a long pause, Alura thoughtfully said, "I'm not angry anymore, Mom. I'm… I'm sad."

This was exactly the trigger Kara needed to start the waterworks. Almost instantly, tears flowed from her eyes and onto her cheeks as she pulled her daughter into her arms.

"Me too," Kara whispered, holding her. "But I'm right here, baby. And you'll always, _always_ have me."

The embrace lasted longer than Kara ever would have imagined Alura would have allowed it to, especially given the fact that Alura's behavior had been so hostile recently, and she savored it.

She was even more surprised when Alura suddenly asked, "Mom? Can I go to the therapy too?"

"Of course, princess," the girl's mother answered quickly, breathing a sigh of relief. "Of course."


	32. Chapter 32

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys! I wasn't sure I was going to get around to posting today, since it's my birthday and I have some plans. (Not going out or anything.... COVID sucks! WEAR YOUR MASKS.) BUT! Here I am! Posting! Because I love you guys and you always motivate me to want to keep going, even when my brain is totally blocked! I hope you enjoy this chapter. P.S.... Hang in there 😉

"Mom, I'm scared," Alura whispered softly, squeezing her mother's hand as they sat down in the waiting room of Alura's new therapist.

"It's gonna be okay, baby. You just tell her anything and everything you're feeling... except that one thing we talked about. She won't judge you, and you've gotta be honest. And unless you tell her you're going to hurt yourself or someone else, it's all private between you two, okay?" Kara assured her with an encouraging smile, feeling her chest swell with pride at her daughter's bravery.

The Kryptonian's daughter nodded her head slowly, silently expressing her understanding, and squeezed Kara's hand a little harder.

Since Kara and her daughter's soon-to-be therapist had already had a lengthy conversation about Alura's needs, when the woman came out into the waiting room to get her daughter, the girl was able to go in by herself.

"Hi, Alura," the woman said sweetly, holding out her hand.

Despite how quiet it was, Kara heard her daughter swallow hard.

"It's okay, baby," Kara whispered. "Go ahead and shake her hand."

It wasn't like Alura to be nervous, but she'd also never been to therapy before. She didn't know what to expect, and that was making her anxious. Still, she committed herself to five seconds of bravery and shook the woman's warm, welcoming hand and gave it a gentle shake.

"Ready?" the therapist asked softly, smiling at the girl.

Nodding her head slowly, Alura followed the woman down the hallway and into her office.

Suddenly, time slowed down for Kara as she sat in the waiting room. Despite her previous calm demeanor, she was gradually becoming more and more anxious with each passing moment, hoping to Rao that her daughter was doing okay in the room by herself. It wasn't that she didn't trust the therapist; it was simply that she knew how nervous her daughter was and was more than aware of her tendency to have outbursts. Thankfully, just as Kara's anxiety brought her to the point of walking down the hall to check on them – which she knew, intellectually, was completely unnecessary – the two walked down the hallway.

To Kara's great surprise, Alura was beaming from ear to ear.

"Hi, Mama!" she exclaimed, bouncing on her heels as she made her way over to her mother.

Eyes going slightly wide, Kara looked over to the therapist in disbelief. What the hell had happened in there?

"Mom, I have to tell you something," Alura said, regaining her mother's attention.

"Yes, baby?"

"I'm really, really sorry for the way I acted. I know it's okay to be angry sometimes now, but I also get why being mean to you was really, really wrong. I'm sorry I hurt you, Mumma."

The Kryptonian's mouth fell open.

"Oh, baby girl…" she whispered. "It's okay. I know you're hurting. I know. I am too. And you're right, hun. It is okay to be angry. I completely understand. Thank you for your apology."

Alura nodded enthusiastically before turning to her therapist with a big smile and saying, "Thank you. I feel lots better. Do I get to come see you again next week?"

"Would you like that?"

Alura nodded again, grinning as she replied, "Yes, please!"

"Alright, kid," Kara laughed, hugging her daughter. "Time to go."

"Okay, Mom."

"I can't thank you enough," Kara said to the therapist. "I can tell you guys are gonna make really great progress."

"Alura is a very, very intelligent girl," the therapist told them both. "She's going to do wonderfully in therapy, and I'm hopeful that she will continue to feel better about things going forward."

Kara and her daughter left the office together, and as they exited the building, Alura took her mother's hand and held it tightly.

~!~!~

"How'd it go, baby?" Lena asked Alura that night as they spoke on the phone.

"Really good! She's SO nice! And I have to tell you something."

"That's great, honey! What do you have to tell me?"

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry I was mean to everyone. I'm sorry I got in trouble. I was really wrong, and I know I hurt everybody."

"Wow, Alura," Lena said softly. "That's _very_ mature of you to say. You're growing into a wonderful young lady, and I am so, so proud of you."

"You are?"

"Mhmm."

"Even though I did bad things?"

Lena couldn't help but smile at this as she replied, "Sweetheart, everyone does bad things sometimes. It's how we move forward and make amends that matters."

"That's good, 'cause I don't want anyone to be mad at me."

"No one is mad at you, baby. We just want you to stay out of trouble, okay?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Good girl. Can I talk to your mom now, please, hun?"

"Okay! Love you, Ma."

"Love you too, baby."

Kara looked slightly surprised when her daughter handed her the phone, but she took it and lifted it to her ear anyway.

"Hey, Lena."

"Hey. How are you?"

"I'm good. I'm great, actually. Really happy about Alura's therapy."

"Yeah, seriously. I'm surprised she's made so much progress already. I mean, I know the kid's smart, but damn."

"She really is amazing. And the therapist obviously did a great job."

"Oh, definitely. Anyway, how are things going for you, though?"

Kara paused, slightly confused as to why Lena was asking.

When she heard only silence on the other end of the line, Lena sighed and said, "I do care about you, Kara. I really do."

"I… I…"

"Please, don't think I'm heartless."

"I don't!" Kara exclaimed. "I don't. I just don't quite know how to answer."

"Are you okay?" Lena asked, suddenly sounding anxious.

"Yeah. No, I'm good. I'm doing much better. Much, much better. It's been good to see Alura doing so well, and—"

"Kara. Not her. You. How are _you._ "

"I'm good, Lena. Really. I feel relieved. Like a weight is off my shoulders. Life's not exactly where I'd like it to be, and certainly not where I thought I'd be a year ago, but I'm feeling very, very grateful for what I have."

"That's awesome, Kar. I'm really glad you're feeling better. I worry about you."

"Don't. I'm fine. I'm always fine."

"Kara… Supergirl is always fine. _You're_ not always fine. And it's okay not to be fine."

"Thank you for saying that, Lee," the hero replied softly, her genuine appreciation evident in her tone.

When Lena answered, "Of course," Kara could hear the smile in her voice.

"Anyway, I should get the kid to bed," the Kryptonian sighed. "It's getting late."

"Absolutely. Have a good night, Kara. I'll see you Friday. Actually… Why don't we do dinner? The three of us?"

Kara hesitated and replied, "I dunno…"

"How about some potstickers?"

Laughing at this, the hero agreed, "Okay, I'm definitely in now."

Lena laughed too and said, "Goodnight, Kara. See you Friday."

"See you Friday."

~!~!~

During Friday's dinner, Kara was too enthralled by the potstickers to feel the sting of loss that usually came with Lena's presence, and Lena was distracted by having too much fun watching Kara devour an inhuman amount of food while Alura followed close behind with her portion. The three found themselves surprisingly relaxed, falling into a distantly familiar rhythm that none of them had had in months.

As well and good as this was, after tucking Alura in bed at Lena's house, when it was time for the adults to say goodnight, the rhythm was abruptly interrupted, becoming a staccato heartbeat they couldn't quite get to sync.

"So, um…" Kara said slowly, shyly glancing up at Lena as she lingered in the apartment doorway.

"Yes?" Lena offered gently.

Kara heard the brunette's heartrate spike, and for a moment, her own heart leapt into her throat as the thought of shared feelings bubbled up.

"Can I, um…" the hero stammered, unable to tear her gaze away from Lena's lips.

Biting her lip – in that really sexy way that made Kara's steel, Kryptonian knees weak – Lena slowly shook her head.

"Not tonight," she whispered in reply, taking a tiny step backwards, subconsciously emphasizing her answer.

Swallowing hard, Kara gave a single, firm nod, feeling her throat tighten further.

 _Goodnight, Lena. See you around,_ she wanted to say, but the words were stuck in her throat, blocked by her body's refusal to cry.

When Lena realized that Kara wasn't going to speak, she managed to squeak out a quiet, "Night, Kar. I'll see you next weekend."

Forcing herself to clear her throat so she could speak, the hero said, "Have a good weekend with the kid, Lena. Sleep tight."

Offering a small smile, Lena watched as Kara turned her back and left.

~!~!~

Back at her own apartment, Kara felt the incredibly heavy, empty silence surround her and her own self-loathing return with a vengeance. Alone in her bed, she thought about calling her sister but instead found the tears that had previously threatened to fall bursting through and covering her cheeks.

Kara cried. Supergirl cried. _All_ of her cried.

She cried until she was empty of tears. Until she was empty of feeling. Until the blackness of sleep silenced the insidious demons and doubts in her heart, allowing nothingness to bring her a superficial sense of numbness and a fabricated façade of peace.


	33. Chapter 33

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sit tight, guys. I got this! Never fear, Supercorp is here! Just hang with me for a bit... Much love to you all. ❤️
> 
> P.S. Sorry this chapter is short.

Kara was unable to shake the black cloud of emptiness over the next few days, and even when Supergirl found herself on her therapist's couch, the feeling remained.

"How are you today?" the hero's therapist asked, sensing the change in the blonde's demeanor and displaying genuine concern.

"I don't know," Supergirl said flatly.

"Can you try to tell me what's on your mind?"

Supergirl thought about shaking her head, about refusing to share, but instead decided on a more honest approach as she fumbled her cape between her fingers.

"I'm feeling like giving up, I guess," she said simply.

"Giving up on what, exactly?"

Supergirl sighed, shaking her head and saying, "Not on life, if that's what you're getting at. Just… I don't know. I'm happy… but I'm not. You know?"

"You're going to need to explain a little more to help me understand, if you can."

With a curt nod, Supergirl thought for a moment, considering her own words. She wasn't exactly sure how to articulate what was going on for her, but she knew she needed to, so she forced herself to think hard about what she meant.

"Just say whatever comes to mind," her therapist encouraged her, sensing her struggle. "It doesn't have to be perfect or even make sense. Just throw out whatever words pop up first. Don't censor it."

"I'm giving up on _true_ happiness, whatever that means. I'm happy with my life in the sense that I love my daughter, and I'm glad she's doing better – she had a wonderful first therapy session, by the way – but I feel like _I_ won't ever feel full. I think I'll always be reaching for something I can't have, and I'm tired of that, so I'm giving up on the endless pursuit. I'm going to try to be content with what I have."

"Well, that sounds far less dismal than how this conversation started."

"What do you mean?"

"When you started expressing yourself, it sounded like you were giving up on happiness. But based on what you just shared, it sounds like you're just giving up on the endless chase and deciding that what you have is enough."

Supergirl sat very still, shut her eyes, and found her mind flooded with images of her former lover. Of the relationship that had ended so brutally, with such incredible disappointment. What she felt in that moment was very far from contentment. Very far from it.

It was the distinct burning sensation of her own hope dying, a strong sting, followed by nothingness.

"I don't think that's quite it," Supergirl confessed.

"Can you explain, then?"

"I mean, I guess that's it. But I can't deny this… this incredible, unbearable sadness that's taking over. This intense… I don't know what."

After a long, quiet pause, the therapist suggested, "Grief."

Supergirl nodded immediately.

"You're mourning the loss of your dreams right now," the therapist inferred out loud.

"Yes. That's exactly what it is. My hope for something more, something better, is gone."

Her therapist didn't respond right away, instead allowing another poignant pause to settle between them before saying, "It makes sense, what you're feeling… _and…_ I don't think it will last forever. I think hope returns in strange ways, finding us at odd times in our lives, exactly when we feel we have none. But… that being said… what you're going through now is extremely painful. I would encourage you not to give up on the things you enjoy, despite perhaps not quite enjoying them as much as you used to."

"You think I'm depressed?"

"Hopelessness and a lack of pleasure in enjoyable activities are symptoms of depression, but I'm not here to decide whether you're depressed or not. Honestly, I think you're just grieving."

"I miss her… but I'm tired of putting myself out there just to get rejected. I've done everything – absolutely _everything_ – to show her that I'm sorry and to build her trust. It's not that I want to rush her. It's not that I'm demanding to be instantly forgiven. But my efforts haven't been recognized, and they've gotten me nowhere. Trust I should be beginning to earn back is still being refused, and I can't help but feel I've exhausted my options with her. If she doesn't want me, I have to move on. I can't keep sitting here, hoping for her to trust me again. Hoping for her to want me back. Hoping for her to fall in love with me again. I have to give up on this, or I'm going to rot from the inside out. I feel it happening already."

Yet again, Supergirl's therapist allowed a deep silence to fall between them before speaking.

"I want you to think about what you just said. Because what you just decided – what you just realized – is that you deserve forgiveness. You deserve respect. You deserve love. And that's something you've been doubting and denying for a long, long time. That's progress."

Eyes going wide, Supergirl let this realization settle inside her. Sitting under the weight of her own thoughts, she stayed quiet for a for a few more moments before glancing at the clock.

"What's homework?" she asked, realizing their time was almost up.

"I meant what I said. I want you to think about what you just realized. _Really_ think about it. And try to be gentle with yourself as you navigate this. _And…_ call me if you need anything, okay? If this does turn into depression, we want to stay on top of it. Fair enough?"

Supergirl nodded and gave a small smile, saying, "Thanks."

~!~!~

Kara did her homework, despite how difficult it was for her. She even processed it with her sister, even though all of her wanted to stuff her feelings and keep silent. She knew she needed to talk to initiate growth. She'd learned all too well that bottling was a great way to explode and end up in the hospital.

"So… I think I'm giving up on Lena," Kara said, after clearing her throat.

Alex's mouth fell open as she grabbed the television remote, cut the power, and stared at her sister.

"What?"

"I'm done."

"What do you mean, 'done?'"

"I'm not going to chase her anymore, Alex. I…" Kara started. Then, taking a deep, steady breath, she readied herself and said aloud, "I deserve love. I deserve trust. I deserve forgiveness. She can't give that to me, or won't. Either way, I can't stall my own growth for her, just to be continually let down and thrown into a pit of despair and disappointment every time I see her. I have to let the hope go, Alex. I have to."

Alex continued to stare, silent.

"What?" Kara pressed, a scowl forming. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"I… I'm just… really, really proud of you, Kara."

"Huh? Why?"

Alex couldn't help but smile as she pulled her sister into her arms and whispered, "Because you're right, Kar. You deserve better than what she's offering right now, and if she can't offer her love to you the way you've offered it unconditionally to her, she doesn't deserve you. I love you, Kara."

"I love you too, Alex."

"I'm sorry it turned out like this. I know how much you loved her."

"Oh, I still love her. I'll _always_ love her, Alex. I just can't stop my world from turning just to wait around for someone who continually rejects me. I'm just glad she stepped up for Alura."

With a sympathetic smile, Alex nodded and said, "Yeah. I understand. And me too. I know it's hard, but I am genuinely proud of you for this progress. I really had hoped Lena would forgive you and that things would work out between you. But… whatever's meant to happen will happen. You are where you need to be; just take a deep breath… right?"

Kara smiled back and nodded, saying, "Right."

For the first time in a long, long time, Kara had a restful night's sleep.

~!~!~

Lena surprised Kara with a phone call on Thursday, the day before she was supposed to take Alura.

"Hey. You okay?" Kara asked into the phone.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Lena laughed. "You're such a worrier. Anyway, yeah, I just wanted to ask you something."

"Are you not taking Alura tomorrow?"

"Of course I'm taking Alura tomorrow," Lena said, sounding slightly put off by the question. "Why wouldn't I?"

"No, I just meant… I was just guessing. Sorry. I shouldn't have assumed. Please, ask away."

"I was actually going to ask if I could bring you and the kid to dinner tomorrow. There's a new Mexican place downtown that seemed like something you'd like."

Hesitating, Kara thought about her options. On the one hand, she could feel her heart thumping in her chest, speeding up at the thought of sitting beside Lena, laughing like they used to. On the other… she knew it was a terrible idea to put her heart on the line again. She knew what feelings this would bring up, and she was no longer willing to indulge them.

"Nah. You and Alura should go and enjoy your time together," Kara said brightly, avoiding saying, 'I don't really want to.' Instead, she added, "I don't want to interrupt you guys."

"But… you wouldn't be interrupting. It's… I just thought…" Lena tried, fumbling for words, sounding shocked and confused by Kara's refusal.

Kara was always, always willing to spend time with her. In fact, she'd never said no. She always seemed so eager. What changed?

Letting out a silent sigh, Kara finally answered, "I don't think it's such a good idea."

"Oh. I… Okay," the brunette floundered, too surprised by the refusal to ask 'why.'

"You guys will have a blast," Kara assured her, trying to lighten the mood.

"Yeah. Of course," Lena said, trying to brighten her own tone, but obviously sounding disappointed. "Alright then. Goodnight, Kara."

"Night, Lena."


	34. Chapter 34

Over the next three weeks, Kara did everything in her power to resist Lena's charm and innocent requests for companionship. She was avoiding with careful intention, knowing full well that if she gave in and agreed to spend more than a few minutes with Lena, she would fall all over again (just as she had every day they were a couple). Instead of giving in, she refrained from contact, except to discuss how Alura was doing. Their conversations were civil but short, with Kara declining to remain on the phone with Lena for more than two or three minutes at a time.

Finally, Lena hit her breaking point.

"I'm going to therapy," she blurted into the receiver, before subconsciously holding her breath as she waited for Kara's judgment.

"Okay…" the hero said softly. "That's… That's good?"

Confused as to why Lena was sharing this information, the Kryptonian unintentionally sounded apprehensive and skeptical.

"You don't think I'm—" Lena started, but Kara immediately cut her off, realizing the impression she'd just given with her tone.

"No, no, it's great! Great. I'm sorry. I'm just wondering why you'd share that with me, of all people."

Again, Lena found herself subconsciously holding her breath.

It took her a long while to say, "Do you even care?"

"Lena…"

The pained, quiet, shallow breath that Lena drew (and Kara heard clearly) made the hero's heart ache.

"You don't," Lena breathed. "You're over me, aren't you?"

"Lena, I—"

"I'm sorry. You're right. I shouldn't have told you."

"Wait! Lena… I didn't say that!"

"I'm gonna go. Tell the kid goodnight and I love her, okay?"

"Lena."

"Goodnight, Kara."

As soon as she heard the click of the call ending, the hero wanted to throw her head through the wall. Lena wanted her to know she was getting help. But why? Surely, it couldn't mean that she still cared… still wanted her. But then, why else would she end the call so abruptly? Why have that reaction?

Heart banging around like a sledgehammer in her chest, Kara leaned her back against the wall, sunk to the floor, and hung her head in her hands.

"No," she mumbled. "I can't. I can't. This isn't happening. This isn't real. She can't—"

"Mom?" Alura interrupted her. "What's wrong?"

Instantly, Kara's head snapped up as her eyes found her daughter's piercing gaze.

"Nothing, baby. I—" she tried to lie, but as soon as the words started to come out, she regretted them. "Okay. Sit with me, and I'll explain?"

Alura, looking relieved by her mother's willingness to share openly, plopped down beside her on the floor, mirroring Kara's position by leaning up against the wall.

"For a long time, Lena wanted nothing to do with me, right? She was angry?"

"Yeah…"

"And even when she came back into our lives… even when she started to heal a little bit from the pain that I caused her… she acted like she didn't want to get back together."

"But you wanted to, right?"

"Right. But sometimes, when something is so far out of reach that it hurts to grab for it, you have to let it go."

"What do you mean?"

"I'll always love Lena, baby. You know that. But… I had to let her go. When I realized – when I _thought_ – that she was over me, and that we were never going to get back together romantically, I had to move on."

"Wait… Are you seeing someone else?!" Alura cried, muscles tensing.

Kara could hear her daughter's heart begin to race, so she put her hand on the girl's shoulder as she assured her, "No, honey. But—"

"But what?!"

"But I let her go. And now… when I just talked to her… she said something to me that made me think maybe she still wants to get back together. And I don't know how to feel or what to do. I know that's really complicated and might be hard to understand, but I want to be honest with you about what's going on. But more than anything… I need you to know that we both love you and always will. And whatever happens between me and Lena won't change that. I _promise_ you that. Do you hear me?"

"Yes, Mama."

"Good girl. Do you have any questions?"

After a thoughtful pause, Alura asked, "If you love her, why not be with her?"

"It's not really that simple. Like I said, hun… sometimes love isn't quite enough to make a relationship work. Sometimes it's just not a good fit."

"But it was a good fit! It _is_ a good fit!"

"Honey…"

"I just want you two back together," Alura whimpered, starting to cry.

Eyes going wide at Alura's lack of anger and intense display of sadness, Kara hugged her daughter tightly and whispered, "I know, baby. But we love you very much, and you're gonna be okay, no matter what. I promise. Okay?"

"Okay…"

"I love you."

"I love you too, Mom."

Alura continued to cry, and her mother continued to hold her tightly against her chest for a long while before asking softly, "Do you want to talk about your powers?"

Instantly, the girl looked up, staring at her mother in disbelief.

"Really…?"

"Yes. You're ready, and it's time you get some answers to your questions."

"Okay. First question… When do I get a super suit like yours?"

Kara laughed and began to answer, "Well…"

~!~!~

CatCo was busy the next day, mostly keeping Kara from thinking about Lena, at least for a little while. Work distracted her for a few hours before something else stepped in to grab her attention.

"Oh, my Gosh…" a voice said softly, coming from behind Kara as she slumped over her desk, working hard on her next article.

"Uh… Hi?" Kara said, looking up as she tried to blink away her confusion.

"Are you… Are you Kara Danvers?"

"Um… Yeah? Why?"

"Oh, wow! I can't believe it's you!"

Blinking a few more times as she stared in disbelief, the reporter replied, "Er…. Why not?"

"Because you're CatCo's best reporter! No, you're National City's best reporter! I love your work!"

Eyes suddenly wide, Kara asked, "Really?"

"Oh, of course! Your last article was my favorite. Always passionate and enthusiastic, but also fair and just in your reporting. It's truly admirable."

"Well… Thank you. Thank you very much. Really. That's… quite flattering."

"Can I buy you lunch?!"

Eyes wider still, Kara gaped, "I mean… I'll go to lunch with you, but you don't have to buy. I can pay for my own—"

"No, no! I insist."

"Um… Okay. Well… Are you going to tell me your name?"

"Oh, Gosh! I'm sorry! I'm Nia."

Finally, the hero smiled.

"Nia… That's a pretty name. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"I can't wait to ask you everything!" Nia exclaimed. "I've always wanted to—Oh, wait! I forgot! I should tell you what I'm doing here. I'm the new intern!"

Raising an eyebrow, Kara looked the woman over from head to toe. She was young, but maturely and professionally dressed. Not to mention exceptionally attractive.

"Welcome to CatCo, then," the reported offered with a smile. "Always great to have interns learning the ropes. Hopefully you like it here and stay on."

"Oh, I'm sure I will! The famous Kara Danvers works here!"

Laughing and shaking her head, Kara rose from her desk and said, "I'm not that special."

The irony of this was almost painful, but Kara refrained from saying anything else. Anyway, to her, it was true. As a reporter, she didn't feel special at all, and the fact that this intern even knew her name was surprising to her. Still, she was flattered and grateful to have a 'fan,' so to speak. It didn't hurt that she was cute, either.

Kara scolded herself for the thought and grabbed her purse before turning back to the intern and asking, "Lunch?"

"Absolutely!"

The two chatted over lunch, and Kara found herself enthralled by the woman's charisma.

"Your laugh is infectious," she said, chuckling and taking a sip of her water.

"And your smile is quite stunning."

Kara blinked. Had this young woman really just… complimented her smile? She wasn't sure she'd heard right. In fact, she was tempted to stick her finger in her ear and wiggle it around to clear out anything that might be clogging her hearing.

"T-Thank you," she stammered, at a loss for any other words.

 _Yours is pretty too,_ she thought, but thankfully, her decision-making tree landed on _not_ saying this out loud. (Mostly 'thankfully' because she knew it wouldn't have come out as clear and sweet and she was thinking it.)

"Oh, Gosh," Nia said suddenly, glancing at her watch. "We should get back. It's almost 1 o'clock."

"Oh! Yeah. Let's go before we get in trouble."

"Thanks for having lunch with me and tolerating my incessant fangirling. I know I came on a little strong…" the woman told her, after she'd payed the bill (despite much protesting by CatCo's main reporter).

"No, it was great! Thank _you_ for buying. That was very sweet of you."

"It was absolutely my pleasure."

~!~!~

After that, Kara found herself feeling brighter and more upbeat than usual each time she arrived at CatCo. Nia continued to fawn over her, which partly made Kara uncomfortable and partly flattered her to no end. By the following Friday, Kara finally had the realization that the two of them had had lunch together nearly every workday for the past two weeks.

"Nia," Kara sighed, looking across the table at the woman, who had just proclaimed her admiration for probably the thousandth time that day. "I'm just me, okay? Just Kara. You don't have to treat me like a celebrity."

"But you're—"

"Please. Just Kara. And I'd like to think we're becoming friends…"

"Wait, really?" Nia gaped, shocked to hear her idol referring to her a friend. "You're not just hanging out with me because I kind of worship you?"

"Of course not!" the reporter exclaimed. "Nia, that's a horrible thing to think of me. I don't care if you think I'm the greatest thing since sliced bread or not. I'm just enjoying spending time with you and getting to know you. It's been really nice. I hope you feel that way too…"

Nia nearly dropped her fork on the table as she stared at the blonde.

"Kara, of course I feel that way. I'm not just enjoying our time because you're my hero."

Kara flinched at the word 'hero' and instantly blushed.

"I'm enjoying our time together because you're you," the brunette elaborated.

The reporter looked down and mumbled a quiet, "Thank you, Nia. That means a lot. It's good to have someone like you as a friend."

There was a long pause as Kara processed what had been said before she looked up at Nia, only to find the woman staring at her with a look of what seemed to be adoration.

"Nia, I—" she started.

"Do you want to get pizza tomorrow night?" the intern interrupted.

Blinking away her confusion, the Kryptonian replied, "I… Yeah. That would be really nice, actually. But you have to let me pay."

"Of course not! My idea, my invitation, my treat!"

Shaking her head, Kara asserted, "If I go, I'm buying."

"Alright, alright," Nia laughed, rolling her eyes. "Just this time."

"Great! Then I'll meet you there around… five-thirty?"

"Absolutely! Now, let's get back to the office before we're late again. That didn't go over well last time."

Kara laughed and shrugged her shoulders, "Oh, well. But yeah, you're right. Let's head back."

The two left the café smiling and continued to converse all the way back to CatCo.


	35. Chapter 35

The next day, as Kara stood in front of the mirror examining her outfit, she found herself feeling an odd burst of anxiety that was distant but familiar. After changing her outfit twice and redoing her hair once, she called Alex and prayed the woman would answer to calm her nerves. Luckily, her sister did take the call.

After explaining that she was meeting a colleague for dinner and that she felt strangely anxious, Kara heard a long, uncomfortable pause on the other end of the line.

"Kara…" Alex suddenly blurted, just when the blonde was finally about to break the silence. "Is this a date?"

"What? No! Of course not! I just—"

"Then why are you nervous?"

"I'm not _nervous,_ " Kara hissed. "I'm _anxious._ It's different. I don't like—"

"Kara… I'm pretty sure—"

"I just don't want to look stupid in front of the intern, okay?!"

Alex had to laugh at this. She couldn't hold it in. Her sister was actually nervous about going out with a woman.

"You haven't been this nervous since—" she started to say, but Kara immediately cut her off.

"Don't, Alex. Don't say it."

"But—"

"It's not a date!" the hero screamed, nearly throwing her phone.

"Okay, okay!" her sister cried, exacerbated. "I got it! Not at a date. Jesus. So why the call?" Realizing that this sounded rather rude, Alex quickly added, "How can I help?"

"I don't know," Kara sighed, hanging her head. "I guess I just needed to hear my sister's voice is all. I feel stupid. I'm sorry."

"No, it's okay, Kar. You can always call me. I'm just a little confused is all. I'm glad you called. Always here for you, buddy. I love you. It's gonna be okay. Just… be chill, you know? Be you."

"I'm not chill. I'm a stupid klutz that—"

"Hey. Don't say that. You're great. Anyone would be lucky to be… uh… _hanging out_ with someone like you."

"Thanks, Alex. I appreciate you saying that," the hero responded, not picking up on the insinuation.

The hero could hear the smile in her sister's voice as she said, "Of course, hun. Love you."

"Love you too. Oh, shit! It's late. I gotta go."

"Wear the pink button up," Alex said quickly.

Silence.

"Why?" Kara said suddenly, after a long, awkward pause.

"No reason…" Alex lied.

But they both knew why.

~!~!~

"Kara! Hi!" Nia cried, upon seeing the reporter step through the door of the restaurant.

Unable to stop the smile that quickly spread over her lips, Kara approached, but as soon as she was within arm's reach, the intern hugged her tightly and bounced on her heels upon pulling away.

Slightly in shock, Kara opened her mouth to speak, but no sound came out.

"I'm so glad you made it!" the younger woman exclaimed with a grin.

"Why wouldn't I make it?" the hero asked, confused.

"Oh, I dunno…" Nia mumbled, dropping her gaze and suddenly looking shy. "I just thought… maybe you said you'd come to humor me, but didn't really plan on coming?"

Kara's eyes widened, as this expression was far from Nia's usual, as she absent-mindedly pushed up her glasses.

"Nia," the blonde said softly. "I'm not that kind of person. I'm genuine. I'd like to think you know that by now."

"I do," Nia agreed, lifting her gaze to meet her companion's. "I guess I'm just self-conscious around you."

"Why would you be self-conscious around me?" Kara questioned as she gestured for Nia to sit back down at the table.

Once she was seated, the intern replied, "I just care what you think of me, I guess. I just feel less confident around you."

"Am I intimidating?" the hero asked, looking absolutely horrified.

"No! No, not at all. I'm just… still a little star-struck and surprised that you tolerate my annoying presence."

"Nia… You're wonderful. Sweet, smart, funny—" Kara started, but found the words falling off as she heard herself speaking.

Was she flirting? Certainly, she was being sincere. Still, what in the world was she saying? It was all true, but at the same time… why was it actually coming out of her mouth?

"Don't say that," Nia whispered, lowering her gaze when she heard Kara trailing off.

"Why not?"

"Because it's not true."

"Nia, why would you say that?"

"Why would _you_ say _that?_ "

"Come on. I'm serious—"

"We should probably talk about something else," Nia said softly.

"Okay…" Kara reluctantly agreed. "What do you want to talk about?"

"Anything, with you."

"Except how sweet you are?"

"Yes," the intern confirmed. "Except that."

"What if—"

"Kara, please."

Huffing with frustration but choosing to drop the issue, Kara waved down the waiter and ordered their meal and drinks.

"Thank you for tonight," Nia told her with a warm smile. "I really appreciate you coming out with me."

"Of course! I'm super glad to be here, and like I said, I enjoy your company."

Then, Kara was nearly sure she saw her companion blush.

"I'm glad," the younger woman finally managed. "I enjoy yours too."

The two spent the rest of the night sharing stories, telling jokes, and laughing over pizza. As it got later, the hero found herself feeling more and more comfortable around her new friend.

"Karaoke!" Nia suddenly shouted, startling the Kryptonian as her eyes shot up to follow where the woman was pointing. "Let's do it!"

"No way," Kara asserted. "Absolutely not!"

"Whyyy?" Nia whined in protest. "C'mon, Kara! It'll be fun!"

"I can't sing."

"I bet you can!"

"Nia, no."

"Nia yes," the young woman said with a grin, grabbing her companion's hand as she tugged her towards the front of the room where the first person had already gotten on stage and started to sing.

"Nia!" Kara cried. "I can't!"

"Sing with me," Nia pleaded. "Please."

"I—"

"Anything you want that I know, I'll sing."

Sighing heavily as she saw the look of adorable desperation in Nia's eyes, Kara huffed, "Okay. Fine. But—"

"SWEET! Let's go!"

"What are we even singing?"

"I dunno. What do you want to sing?"

"I don't know either," Kara protested. "Can't we just—"

"Nope. No backing out now!" Nia laughed, wrapping and arm around Kara's waist as she hauled her the rest of the way towards the small stage.

"Then _what_ are we _singing?_ " the Kryptonian fussed. "I've never—"

After a long, thoughtful pause, Nia suddenly blurted, "Oh, my God! I know _exactly_ what we should sing!"

"Okay…" Kara sighed, looking incredibly apprehensive. "What?"

"Tainted Love by Soft Cell!"

The reporter had to laugh at this.

"Okay, that's… kind of brilliant," she chuckled. "I'm in, I guess."

"AWESOME!"

Kara was once again shocked when Nia hugged her tightly out of excitement and stood dumbfounded as the woman let go.

"You okay?" the intern asked. When Kara nodded, she observed with a smile, "You're nervous."

Kara nodded again.

"It'll be okay," Nia promised. "I've got your back! It's gonna be great."

By the time it was their turn to get up on the stage, Kara's Kryptonian heart was slamming around in her chest like a caged animal. What if she made a fool of herself? What if—

"Our turn!" Nia exclaimed, tugging the reporter up on the stage.

Kara's voice shook as she sang her verse – Nia had, of course, gone first – but slowly, she built confidence, and by the end of her part, she was feeling relaxed and comfortable. When she thought about why, she realized that Nia's look of excitement was comforting and had made her heart swell at least three sizes. It was sweet to see the woman bubbling over with glee, and her smile was infectious. When it was Kara's turn again, her voice gained confidence and stability. Nia took a tiny step back, enough to watch Kara's face as her smile grew into a grin, amazed by the power in her voice.

Soon, they were in a rhythm together, and to Kara's immense shock and surprise, the small crowd in the restaurant was cheering for them.

When the song was finished, Kara was out of breath and in awe of the reaction to her performance.

"Wow," she whispered to her vocal partner as they stepped off the stage. "Just… wow."

"You were _amazing,_ " Nia breathed. "Absolutely _amazing._ "

"Oh, my God, stop!" Kara laughed, a bright blush rising to her cheeks. "That was all you."

"Bullshit," the woman laughed. "You did great."

"Thanks, Nia."

The two decided to end the night there, given that it was getting late. Of course, Kara escorted her companion home, to make sure she was safe walking at night, and Nia couldn't have been more appreciative.

"Thank you, Kara," Nia told the hero. "You really didn't have to walk me home. I would've been fine."

"I know… I just worry is all." Then, after a thoughtful pause, Kara added, "I worry a lot, about everything, actually."

Nia chuckled at this and smiled at her new friend, saying, "Well, I appreciate it. I hope you have a really good night, hun."

 _Hun,_ Kara repeated silently. _What the—_

Then, realizing she had gotten lost in her head, the reporter quickly replied, "You too, Nia. Goodnight."

But as Kara made a move to turn around, the intern gently grabbed her hand, causing her to turn back around with a look of concern on her face.

"Wait… Kara… I'd really like to do something like this again sometime. Would… Would you like that?"

Hesitating as she realized that this had, in fact, very likely been a date, Kara began to blush as she answered, "Yeah… Yeah, I'd like that."

Nia couldn't hide her broad, infectious smile that spread over Kara's lips as well when she stated, "Can't wait. See you tomorrow, Kara."

"See ya tomorrow."

As Kara turned around, she felt a sudden shock electrify her nerves. All the way back to her apartment, she found herself fighting off thoughts of Lena, and an uncomfortable sense of guilt around how enjoyable her evening had been.


	36. Chapter 36

"Alex," Kara gaped into the phone, as soon as she stepped through her apartment door. "I think it was a date…"

On the other end of the line, the hero's sister had to cover her own mouth to stifle the laugh.

"Alex?!" the Kryptonian cried. "Are you—"

"Yeah! Sorry. I was just—Anyway… How do you feel about that? And how did it go?"

"It went great," the blonde sighed. "It was awesome."

"Okay… Then why do you sound so incredibly miserable?"

"I don't know…" Kara lied, dropping her head into her hand.

Sounding as irritated and unconvinced as she felt, Alex warned her, "Don't lie to me, Kara. I always know when you're lying. Tell me the truth. Why do you sound miserable? What's wrong?"

"I don't know, Alex. Really. I just… I feel guilty, I guess."

"What? Why?"

"Because… I love Lena, and—"

"Kara, listen. You were right in what you said a while ago. You've gotta give up the ship."

"But—"

"No, really. I wasn't sure before you said it, but thinking on it now… you deserve to be happy, Kar. Really happy. With someone who loves you as much as you love them. Someone who understands and—"

"Hey. No. I'm not looking for another relationship, okay? I'm just giving up on love in general. I didn't think tonight was a date when I agreed to it, and now I feel stupid. Can you just be supportive and stop trying to hook me up with the intern?"

"I'm not triyng to hook you up. _You're_ hooking you up. Unintentionally, maybe, but still. And anyway, I _am_ being supportive! You just don't like the support I'm providing," Alex huffed.

"That's…. That's not…"

"It's totally true, and you know it!"

"Alright, whatever. Point is, I didn't mean to go on a date, and I did, and now I don't know what to do."

"Okay, so just… decline further invitations and stay friends?"

Biting her lip, Kara slowly confessed, "I kinda already told her I had fun and would go out again."

"Wow, Kar, that's—"

"But it was before I realized it was a date!"

"Oh, boy. You are in hot water, aren't you?"

"Mhmm."

"So… What are you gonna do?"

"I don't know!" the hero cried. "That's why I called you!"

"Ohhh. I see. You want to know how to drop the intern like she's hot without breaking her heart."

"Well… I guess so. I mean, I don't want to _drop_ her. I want to stay friends, but I…"

"You…?"

"I honestly did have a really good time, Alex."

Letting out an exacerbated sigh, the hero's sister stated, "Okay, now my head's spinning. Are you into this girl or not?"

"She's not a girl! She's a lady!"

"She's an intern."

"Whatever. Still. And… I don't _know_ , Alex," Kara groaned. "I honestly don't know."

"Wow," Alex chuckled. "You're a cradle robber. How old is this girl, anyway? 18?"

"Okay, stop. She's like 22, and I am _not_ a cradle robber! I don't even… We're not even… And _she_ asked _me_ out, not the other way around!"

"So, it definitely was a date then."

"I don't know! Probably. Ugh, I'm in so much shit, Alex."

"Kar. Breathe. It's gonna be okay. Just be honest and tell her you're confused about your feelings. It's better to be up front and honest with her rather than shaft her, drop her, ignore her, or go along with it when you're not sure. Just be you."

"I _can't._ I don't wanna hurt her, and I—"

"Kara. You have to. This girl deserves the truth."

"The truth? You mean the fact that I'm still in love with my ex, who co-parents my child, but that I find her extremely attractive and the connection is undeniable?"

Kara was sure she could hear crickets in the silence that followed.

"Alex?" she pressed anxiously, terrified by her sister's lack of response.

"Yes, Kara. The truth. People deserve that."

"Ouch, Alex. Ouch."

"Hey, I didn't mean it like that…"

"Yeah, okay. Thanks a lot. I'm gonna go now, since I'm such a dishonest piece of shit."

"Kara! Come on! That's not what I—"

But the hero disconnected the call before Alex could further explain herself, and as soon as she ended the call, Kara felt her stomach flip with regret. It wasn't like her to get so angry, but this was a sore spot for her. Still, she knew she shouldn't have taken it out on her sister.

The hero then decided to sleep off the feelings of discomfort and the internal conflict, knowing full well that they would be there in the morning.

~!~!~

Walking into CatCo, Kara was filled with the unfamiliar sense of dread. _What do I say?_ she wondered.

But as soon as she reached the appropriate floor and stepped out of the elevator, she saw the intern looking stunning in a lovely blue sun dress, sitting at her own desk.

"Kara! Hi!" the young woman exclaimed, lifting her head immediately upon hearing her friend step closer. "Good morning!"

Kara bit her lip, finding herself in a daze as she stared at the woman before her. She was _terribly_ attractive, and for whatever reason, this bothered her immensely. What was worse was the thought that followed: _Not quite as pretty as Lena._

The ache in her heart grew fast, knocking the air from her lungs as she failed to speak.

"Kara? You okay? You look like you've seen a ghost," Nia pressed, putting a hand on her friend's shoulder.

Immediately, the hero was torn from her trance as she shook herself from her stupor.

"Huh? Oh. Yeah. Just tired. Sorry! Good morning."

"You should get to work," Nia gently suggested. "Cat's in a foul mood."

"Yeah. I've gotta finish that article from Friday anyway," Kara agreed sadly, sulking back to her desk.

The emotions that overwhelmed her were intense and nearly intolerable. Nia was gorgeous; there was no doubt about that. But Lena… Lena was the love of her life. More beautiful than the stars in the sky. But it seemed she had no chance with Lena, so… why not take a chance on something new? The Kryptonian shook the thought away the instant she heard it in her mind.

 _No,_ she told herself. _It's not time. You don't need this. You don't have time for this. You're not… Just don't._

With a heavy sigh, Kara lowered her head and forced herself to focus on the article she'd been writing.

~!~!~

"I don't know what to do," the hero blurted, upon sitting down in her therapist's office.

"Could you explain?" her therapist gently asked, having no context for the sudden statement.

"Yeah, sorry. I met this girl… and…"

When Kara trailed off, lowering her head, the therapist probed, "Go on."

"She's beautiful," Supergirl groaned, rubbing her temples.

"Is that a bad thing?"

"Well, no…" the hero started. After a pause, she whined loudly, " _Yes._ "

"Okay. Do you have any thoughts on why this might be a bad thing for you?"

"Because I love my ex. I don't need… I shouldn't… I…"

"I know you love your ex. And that's very, very real. I want to validate those feelings. I'd also like to challenge you to avoid the 'shoulds.' Don't 'should' all over yourself, right? You've heard me say that before?"

Kara chuckled, nodding her head. 'Don't should all over yourself,' was one of the only statements her therapist had said that had truly made her laugh. The fact that it briefly sounded like, 'Don't shit all over yourself' was too funny to ignore.

"Thank you for making me laugh," the Kryptonian said with a smile. "Anyway. I get what you're saying. The 'shoulds' won't make me feel better."

"Exactly. Remember that we talked about the research supporting that, right?" When the hero nodded, the therapist continued, "What moves people forward and motivates them is self-compassion and gentleness, not punitive language or action."

"Right," Supergirl agreed. "Anyway. I still have feelings for my ex, so it _feels_ like I shouldn't be attracted to anyone else. But this girl is sweet, and kind, and funny, and really seems to like me. We have a good time together. I enjoy her company. By all rights, it would make sense for me to pursue her. But I just… can't get over the brain block, you know?"

"It's interesting to me that a short time ago, you were vehemently denying a desire to hold on to your feelings for your former partner. Today, you seem to be holding on tighter than ever."

Blinking to clear her head, the hero acknowledged, "I guess you're right. I'm not sure why that is."

"I can't help but wonder if you're holding onto some hope of her changing her mind."

"I suppose I am, to a degree. It's subconscious. I'm not saying in my head, 'Maybe she'll come back to me.' It's just that subtle sinking feeling I get when I think of her. That sudden sting of regret. And… And honestly… I think I feel some guilt, too. Not for thinking this girl – this _woman –_ is attractive… but because I know I did shut my ex down in a lot of ways since I decided to let her go. I pulled away. I declined invitations to dinners with Alura. I declined a lot of things. Maybe… just _maybe_ … she was trying to rekindle that connection. Maybe just when I was giving up, she was getting ready."

"Hmm… What are your thoughts on that?"

"Thoughts? You mean, how does that make me feel?" the hero laughed. "I guess it makes me feel shitty. Because what if I fucked up? What if I made the wrong call and just didn't give her enough time?"

"It's a possibility."

"But…"

"But you have a chance to check the facts."

"What do you mean?"

"Checking the facts means being objective and fully investigating the thoughts you're having. You had the thought that she didn't want you, and now you're having another thought that maybe she does. You won't know the truth unless you 'check the facts' by addressing this directly."

"You mean asking her…" When the therapist nodded, Supergirl immediately blurted, "I can't."

"Do you have any sense of what the reason might be for that?"

"Because I can't!" the hero cried, her muscles tensing.

"I can't help but notice that you got very tense just then. Can you tell me what's going on for you right now?"

"I'm frustrated," Supergirl suddenly sobbed. "I'm scared. Maybe I fucked up big time and she hates me again. Maybe she was trying to come back and I pushed her away just as she was healing. I can't come back from that."

"Did you not come back from what happened before?" the therapist challenged.

Supergirl's face went blank with shock as she considered her words.

"I… I guess I did… I mean, I guess it was okay. At least, she didn't _seem_ to still hate me. But she still… I don't know. Maybe I fucked up too bad this time."

"You won't know that unless you check the facts. If you don't address this, and you continue to shut her down, you will _definitely_ lose her for good. You miss one-hundred percent of the shots you don't take. Tell me… What do you think is the worst that could happen?"

"I…" Supergirl started, thinking hard. "I guess she could just… hate me forever and think my asking is just me putting more pressure on her?"

"You already feel you've lost her now. You already feel as though she hates you. Is that correct?"

"Yeah."

"So… If you check the facts… doesn't that leave the situation the same?"

Once again blinking several times in a row, the hero conceded, "I suppose that's true. I guess I don't have much to lose… Except maybe putting myself out there to be disappointed again."

"You've felt so much pain already. I honestly believe that you can withstand another round, especially if you leave the situation knowing that you did everything in your power to make the situation work."

"Wow… That's… That's a good point, actually. At least I'll know I tried and gave it my all. At least I'll know I didn't give up on her or let her go without reason."

Smiling, the therapist nodded, then clarified, "I also do you want you to know that I support you in whatever decision you make. Pursuing your ex, pursuing this other young woman, or not pursuing anyone at all. This is your choice to make, and I know that however any of it turns out, you'll get through it."

"Thanks," Supergirl said with sincerity. "I appreciate that more than you know."

As they ended their session, the hero left the office smiling and feeling more confident, though the fear was still there.


End file.
